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In Gaza destitution is widespread. There is a demand for basic goods but they are in very short supply. Israel has positioned blockades around the borders Gaza shares with other nations. So one of the best ways to move supplies into Gaza is through tunnels.

In order to draw themselves out of poverty the Palestinians were advised to invest in the tunnels. Investors believed that these tunnels would assist them out of poverty and supply the channel to smuggle in needed goods. One town that has scores of these tunnels is Rafah which shares a border with Egypt.

There are tons of tunnels but Israelis end up bombing many of them so there are continually tunnels being built. There is a lot of capital to be made from running a tunnel. lately two swindlers gathered cash from Palestinians in order to construct a tunnel except that they left with anywhere from $100 million to $500 million. The money is gone 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 are losing out on the tunnels but also workers. One employee didn’t get paid for three months worth of work and doesn’t think he’ll ever get his wages.

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. 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 literally hundreds of underground tunnels that link Egypt to Rafah and thousands of Palestinians working on smuggling merchandise into Gaza. Israel believes it’s necessary to obstruct these tunnels because weapons are smuggled in, which may be correct 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 kids run away from home to work in these tunnels and are rapidly hired because many of the tunnels are only 4 feet tall inside. Children are also recruited to dig the tunnels and many are injured or lost when the tunnel falls in with them inside. However the risks are worth it for many children. One child disclosed to have received $100 a day for working in a tunnel.

Money is hard for these children to resist because they come from such poor backgrounds. The money is what drives this business and many children get caught up in it. Just this year alone over 59 Palestinians have perished in the tunnels, counting children.

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