In Gaza destitution is common. There is a demand for basic goods but they are in very small supply. Israel has positioned blockades around the borders Gaza shares with other countries. So one of the best ways to get provisions into Gaza is through tunnels.

In order to pull themselves out of poverty the Palestinians were exhorted to invest in the tunnels. Investors believed that these tunnels would help them out of poverty and present the way to smuggle in necessary goods. One town that has scores of these tunnels is Rafah which shares a boundary with Egypt.

There are tons of tunnels but Israelis end up bombing many of them so there are continuously tunnels under construction. There is a lot of money to be made from operating a tunnel. lately two swindlers gathered funds from Palestinians in order to construct a tunnel except that they left with anywhere from $100 million to $500 million. The money is vanished and there is no tunnel.

Hamas is trying to get the money back and has two suspects in custody but so far no money has been recovered. It’s not just investors that lost their money but also workers. One laborer didn’t get compensated for three months worth of work and doesn’t think he’ll ever get compensation.

Tunnels may be money makers and life lines to the people in Gaza but they are also very risky. With Israel dropping bombs on the tunnels and a steady threat of cave-ins tunnel runners are always in danger. These tunnels supply not only money and goods to Palestinians but they come with a price. One father stated “I want to go to the park at the end of the day, not go looking for my son inside a tunnel digging for a living and finding him dead inside the tunnel.”

There are actually hundreds of underground tunnels connecting Egypt to Rafah and thousands of Palestinians working on smuggling goods into Gaza. Israel believes it’s necessary to obstruct these tunnels because weapons are smuggled in, which may be true but the blockades are keeping Palestinians below the poverty line.

Unemployment in Gaza is up to 80 percent and as a result many are required to work in the tunnels. Even children run away to work in these tunnels and are promptly hired because many of the tunnels are only 4 feet tall inside. Children are also recruited to dig the tunnels and many are wounded or killed when the tunnel falls in with them inside. However the risks are worth it for many children. One child reported to have received $100 a day for working in a tunnel.

It’s difficult for these children to refuse because they come from such disadvantaged backgrounds. The cash is what drives this business and many children get caught up in that. Just this year alone over 59 Palestinians have died in the tunnels, including children.

Diane Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Utah. She likes to write about the news, politics, college degrees, online education, and the college experience.

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