Palestinians in Gaza feel the Egypt effect as smuggling tunnels close | World news | guardian.co.uk
▻http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/19/palestinians-gaza-city-smuggling-tunnels
The Egyptian authorities have targeted the underground passages as part of a drive to regain control of the vast Sinai desert, whose population is hostile to Cairo.
At the height of the black market trade between Gaza and Egypt there were thought to be more than 1,000 tunnels employing around 7,000 people – providing Hamas with an income from taxes and permits of millions of dollars a month, estimated at 40% of the government’s revenue. But Egypt is thought to have closed or destroyed around 80% of the tunnels.