Final preparations are being made for Israel’s building of a canal as a means of countering the arms smuggling tunnels that Palestinians have used to smuggle in weapons from Egypt. The canal will be a 50-80 foot deep trench stretching 2.5 miles along the Israeli and Egyptian border running through Rafiah.
The Defense Ministry published a bid notice today (Thursday), inviting contractors to bid for the massive project, which is meant to put an end to the massive arms-smuggling that takes place through tunnels from Egypt to Gaza. Bids are to be in by July 12th. “The work includes, among other things, the carrying out of earthwork, stabilizing the slopes, cement slabs and other ancillary work,” read the bid notice.
Under the version of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Gaza withdrawal plan approved by the Cabinet, the Philadelphi Route (where the trench is to be located) will remain under Israeli control.
Predictably, PA spokespeople have taken to the airwaves decrying the creation of an obstruction to the continued smuggling of arms to Gaza. "This is the beginning of turning the Gaza Strip into a big prison," said Saeb Erekat, comparing it to the separation fence and condemning that as well.
The army has found and destroyed more than 80 tunnels used to smuggle arms and terrorists over the past three years and reports of Katyusha rockets waiting in Egyptian Rafiah for an Israeli retreat from Gaza have increased the demand to put an end to the tunnels once and for all.
The Defense Ministry published a bid notice today (Thursday), inviting contractors to bid for the massive project, which is meant to put an end to the massive arms-smuggling that takes place through tunnels from Egypt to Gaza. Bids are to be in by July 12th. “The work includes, among other things, the carrying out of earthwork, stabilizing the slopes, cement slabs and other ancillary work,” read the bid notice.
Under the version of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Gaza withdrawal plan approved by the Cabinet, the Philadelphi Route (where the trench is to be located) will remain under Israeli control.
Predictably, PA spokespeople have taken to the airwaves decrying the creation of an obstruction to the continued smuggling of arms to Gaza. "This is the beginning of turning the Gaza Strip into a big prison," said Saeb Erekat, comparing it to the separation fence and condemning that as well.
The army has found and destroyed more than 80 tunnels used to smuggle arms and terrorists over the past three years and reports of Katyusha rockets waiting in Egyptian Rafiah for an Israeli retreat from Gaza have increased the demand to put an end to the tunnels once and for all.