Egypt destroying lifeline Gaza tunnels

The Egyptian military has destroyed more tunnels along the border town of Rafah over the past few days, using bulldozers and explosive devices.

Local residents said on Tuesday that 20 houses along the Gaza border were also demolished by Egypt’s military.

The Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas said Egypt has, over the past weeks, destroyed dozens of tunnels, which were used to transfer fuel and other goods to Gaza.

The demolishment of the tunnels has reportedly led to an increase in the price of fuel and other commodities in the coastal territory.

Palestinians have to wait in long lines at gas stations and face daily power outages that last up to 14 hours.

Since the ouster of Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi on July 3, the Egyptian military has launched a campaign to destroy the tunnels, preventing the people in Gaza from accessing most of their basic goods like construction materials, food, and fuel.

The Rafah border crossing with Egypt serves as a lifeline for the people of Gaza.

About 80 percent of the tunnels are no longer functional following their destruction by the Egyptian security forces.