Gaza's Underground: Smuggling and Survival

In the war-torn city of Gaza, the underground tunnels have become the lifeline for the Palestinians and may now evolve into a more complex battleground.

 

Since 2007, Israel has tightly sealed off this territory, and Egypt has closed the southern borders of Gaza, turning it into an open-air prison. Israel's comprehensive water and power blockade led to a disruption in local supplies on October 9, 2023. 

 

To circumvent this blockade, Gaza has excavated numerous underground tunnels, and cleverly concealed entrances beneath homes, mosques, or within thickets. These tunnels serve as a crucial lifeline for Gaza, connecting it to the outside world and sustaining the smuggling industry of essential goods, medicines, and other supplies. Here is a video: the exclusive look inside the Gaza tunnel network.

 

Beyond smuggling, the underground tunnels have evolved into military reserves. Israel possesses a military strength unmatched by Hamas, yet they have continuously sought ways to address this underground threat. The latest attempt involves flooding the tunnels with water. As a Chinese, it reminds me of the water flooding in the tunnels during the Sino-Japanese War in the Jizhong Plain, which was very brutal.

Militants guarding tunnels on the Gaza-Israeli border earlier this year.  
Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Unfortunately, in the conflict, civilians are always the first to suffer, whether for Israel or Gaza. Under the blockade and amidst the fires of war, the smuggling industry has taken a severe hit, posing a significant threat to civilians. Despite Israel's claims that their target is the tunnels, the collapse of these tunnels also leads to the collapse of civilian homes on the surface. For civilians, this lifeline may even endanger their lives, as everything is unpredictable in war.

 

From a life perspective, this underground smuggling and perilous survival are both helpless and pitiful. The prolonged war has been enduring, and it is hoped that there won't be more innocent lives implicated. 

If you have any opinions about Gaza's underground, feel free to leave a comment in my comment section. If you want to learn more, here is a link where a reporter lived in Gaza and reported on how they lived life under siege: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-26/life-in-gaza-children-hospitality-power-cuts-life-under-siege/103136256.