EL-ARISH: Egyptian security forces have found five tunnels used to smuggle contraband and weapons into the Gaza Strip and blocked them, a security official said on Monday.
Three tunnels were found (on Monday) and two were found (on Sunday), the official told AFP. We have blocked the entrances to the tunnels from the Egyptian side.
The Gaza Strip, under a tight blockade since the Islamist Hamas seized power in the Palestinian enclave in 2007, relies on international aid and products smuggled through a network of tunnels linking it to Egypt.
Israel says the tunnels are also used to send in weapons.
Egypt, under pressure from Israel and the United States, has taken robust measures to crack down on smuggling into the impoverished and densely populated territory. -AFP
