Tunnel smugglers stand to be the biggest losers if the proposed truce holds up, allowing Israel to re-open passage for goods and merchandise into Gaza. Businessmen have been making a fortune by using smuggling tunnels not only for weapons but also for blue jeans, candy bars, cigarettes, shoes, refrigerator parts, gasoline and generic Viagra, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
Hamas also will lose millions of dollars in takes by taxing the contraband and deciding who receives it. The terrorist authority also uses the dozens and possibly hundreds of tunnels to smuggle long-range rockets, explosives and terrorists into Gaza.
"The best thing from our point of view is that there would be no smuggling of ammunition. We don't care about the other things," Defense Ministry spokesman Shlomo Dror told the newspaper. He did not indicate how the ministry planned to suddenly halt the smuggling of ammunition via the tunnels.
Smuggler Abu Mosab told the newspaper he hopes that the present situation continues. He earns $6,000 for every ton of material that passes through his tunnels, several of them reaching tens of feet underground. "I will pass the tunnel along to my sons," he added.
I will pass the tunnel along to my sons. 