Gaza's Graveyards for The Living: Now Flooded with Sewage Water

[Scootaloo]

http://www.vice.com/read/gazas-graveyards-for-the-living-now-flooded-with-sewage-water

Haneen Khader had no option. As soon as she learned of her father’s death, her March wedding celebration had to be canceled.

Forty-one-year-old Bassam Khader, an unemployed construction worker, had tried everything to provide a basic living for his family but to no avail. His only option was to work in the tunnels—known as “the trade of death,” and considered the most dangerous job in Gaza.

In 2006, following Hamas’ victory in Palestinian elections, Israel sealed off its borders with Gaza, and Egypt, which borders Gaza to the east, followed suit. Heralded as necessary to prevent arms from entering the strip, the blockade resulted in the people of Gaza being cut off from many of life’s basic necessities. Without the ability to import or export anything, the tunnel industry was born in the city of Rafah on the Egyptian border.

It was in one of those makeshift burrows to the international market of goods that Khader perished. For workers still employed underground the news gets worse. In early March, Egyptian troops started a new tactic to shut down the tunnels: by flooding them with sewage water.

[holdencaufield]

1. "Egyptian troops started a new tactic to shut down the tunnels"

Are you genuinely unaware that Egyptians are not typically considered to be Zionists? It would even be a reach to consider them puppets of "Global Zionist Conspiracy Inc", considering their current trend in government.

I know the temptation to blame the fall of every sparrow on the evil Zionists, but this is a bit of a reach.

Perhaps you meant to post this in the -- what is currently non-existent but I'm sure will soon be created -- Egypt / Palestinian Conflict Forum?

[Scootaloo]

2. It's a piece about Gaza. Gaza is part of Palestine. ergo, I/P group.

It's interesting that you fly off the handle about absolutely nothing that was mentioned anywhere, too.

[JoDog]

3. Yes, it is a piece about the Gaza Strip

But I think you are a little confused. Gaza Strip is not a part of Palestine. A recognized nation of Palestine does not (yet) exist. It is Palestinian-controlled territory.

[Scootaloo]

4. Fascinating. Do go on.

[bemildred]

6. You will love these little disputes about nomenclature.

Like, you say "Palestine", a perfectly good English word for a particular geographic region, with a meaning clear since antiquity, the place between Egypt and Syria, and they say: you must mean a currently existing state of Palestine, which of course does not exist, since it doesn't yet have permission to exist; and soon we are safely far away from the original subject of the thread, which was the shit going down in Gaza (pun intended).

[holdencaufield]

5. Curious ...

... what other territory do you consider Palestine? Tel Aviv? Haifa?

[Scootaloo]

7. Also Svalbard. It's in the fine print.

Really, do you have an intelligent question? ...or statement, since your style is making accusations that end in question marks?

[Jefferson23]

8. It was explained to me by a poster here recently that the World Bank report

did not support the notion the occupation was the primary reason for the economic
hardships.

**A World Bank report released last week found that the Israeli restrictions have caused "lasting damage" to the competitiveness of the Palestinian economy.



K&R

[azurnoir]

9. so which families own the Gaza tunnels

The tunnels themselves are quite profitable for the few families who own them. Tunnels are licensed by the Rafah Municipality, which provides electricity and additional services. The government collects taxes on fuel, construction materials, cars, food, and other supplies secreted into the strip. Even so, worker safety has never been a high priority.

[Scootaloo]

10. Pretty good question!

I'm going to hazard a guess that they're whoever owns those swimming pools that "prove" there's no hardship in Gaza.