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Closing of Smuggling1 Tunnels Hits Gazans Hard 关闭加沙走私隧道
RAFAH, GAZA STRIP — Gaza's economy has been hit hard by the recent destruction of most of the smugglers' tunnels into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The tunnels provided an economic lifeline to Gaza, which is under a seven-year-old Israeli blockade. But Egypt says the tunnels were being used by Islamist militants3 to stage attacks in Sinai.
It is a quiet weekday morning along Gaza’s boundary with Egypt. Activity in this economic lifeline for the Palestinian territory has virtually stopped since Egyptian security forces began destroying the hundreds of smuggling tunnels here.
A few tunnels are still open, mostly kilometer-long ones that go beyond a 500-meter-wide buffer4 zone set up by Egyptian forces.
The Egyptians began destroying the tunnels after the military coup5 in early July. Before then, thousands of tons of food, fuel, construction materials and machinery6 entered Gaza through the tunnels each month. This eased shortages caused by the Israeli blockade imposed after the militant2 Hamas took power in Gaza.
Tunnel owner Abu Khalil does not want his face shown on camera. He says his business has been destroyed.
“There are a lot of people sitting without work now," he said. "This has made the rate of unemployment very high. And prices for goods have become very expensive."
Tens of thousands of jobs have been lost. Many gas stations now are shut. Construction projects have stopped. Raw sewage flows into the sea because the treatment plant no longer works. Electrical power is being rationed7. Analysts say the closure of the tunnels have cost Gaza some $300 million.
Islam Salouha's grocery store is open despite a blackout. He says business is down 70 percent. Most goods come from Israel and cost twice as much. The uncertain future makes it difficult to stay in business.
"We buy some consumer products week by week, others day by day," he said. "For example, cigarettes you buy day by day, the other consumer products, week by week. Because we are afraid if we buy them at the higher price and the price goes down we will lose money."
Egypt says militants are using the tunnels to attack its forces in Sinai. Hamas denies that.
The new Egyptian leader, General Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, is suspicious of the ties between Hamas and Egypt's ousted8 Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, deposed9 by the military three months ago, says Professor Mukhaimar Abu Saada of Al-Azhar University in Gaza.
“Basically Hamas is part of the international Muslim Brotherhood10 organization and el-Sissi and his comrades were watching how the Hamas Muslim Brotherhood was developing over the past year when Morsi was in power," he said. "And they were not happy with it."
Hamas leaders say they are trying to improve ties with Egypt's new leaders but this may take time. Gazans, meanwhile, say they just want the tunnels re-opened or legal trade to be allowed through Rafah Crossing.
1 smuggling | |
n.走私 | |
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2 militant | |
adj.激进的,好斗的;n.激进分子,斗士 | |
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3 militants | |
激进分子,好斗分子( militant的名词复数 ) | |
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4 buffer | |
n.起缓冲作用的人(或物),缓冲器;vt.缓冲 | |
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5 coup | |
n.政变;突然而成功的行动 | |
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6 machinery | |
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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7 rationed | |
限量供应,配给供应( ration的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8 ousted | |
驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 ); 革职; 罢黜; 剥夺 | |
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9 deposed | |
v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 );(在法庭上)宣誓作证 | |
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10 brotherhood | |
n.兄弟般的关系,手中情谊 | |
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