The Tunnel economy

A fascinating article on the economy of the Gaza Tunnel( thanks to Robin Lustig for the tip.)

Here's a taster

Driven by pent-up demand, the few dozen tunnels that had been in operation before Hamas’s takeover increased to many hundreds, employing 10,000 workers; some that already existed were discarded, others upgraded with air-conditioning and even a makeshift railway. Hamas says it has disbursed $50 million in compensation to families whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the war. UN agencies say they have disbursed $40 million, and plan to distribute $40 million more. Gazan shopkeepers began filling the space once occupied by Israel’s exports with goods in Arabic packaging. Cigarettes and chocolate reappeared in Gaza’s markets, then clothes, shoes and mobile phones. Laptops followed and then larger household appliances such as fridges, washing-machines and 42-inch plasma TVs.

8000km but little press interest

Over at Labour Home,Mark McDonald asks why the largest British convoy to cross North Africa since the second world war has not been covered in the press.

The convoy in question is the 110 vehicle aid convoy making its way to Gaza.It set off from Britain in 14th Feb and will travel 8000km having crossed France and Spain, it is now heading through North Africa taking in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.

In addition to this, funds raised totalled over £130,000 British Pounds (nearly $190,000). This convoy of vehicles and cargo, labelled "with Love from Bolton", departed the small northern town in the UK and made its way to London to join a mass of other vehicles, which had been borne and tasked with the same love and devotion from other towns and cities in the UK. This mile long Viva Palestine convoy totalling 110 vehicles, including 1 fire truck and 20 ambulances, left London on Valentines day with the message "A Valentine for Palestine" ; carrying over £1M British pounds worth of Aid, from the people, to the people. The 5,000 mile road trip has already taken the convoy through Europe and it is now winding its way across the coast of Northern Africa to its destination in early March - Gaza, Palestine. Today 26th February 2009, the convoy is halfway to its destination and the gruelling long hours of driving has been sweetened by the love, support and admiration - not to mention places to rest and meals- provided by the people of France, Spain, Morocco and Algeria along the route.

Three scenarios for the end of the war in Gaza

Time magazine's Tony Karon gives three scenarios in whch the war in the Gaza strip will come to an end.

1.Regime Change -ie use its momentum to take control of Gaza City and decapitate Hamas.

2.Long-term Cease-fire-

An actual disarming of Hamas' current militias is unlikely without a full-scale reoccupation of Gaza, which would involve tens of thousands more Israeli troops over many months. Anything less will see Hamas continue to be the dominant security presence inside Gaza. So, Israel's priority will be to choke off the supply of rockets and mortar shells, which have been smuggled through tunnels from Gaza and fired at Israel

3.The Guns Go Silent Without a Formal Truce-

If the offensive cannot deal Hamas a death blow, Israel may see benefit in holding its fire, in line with the first phase of the Egyptian plan but not necessarily concluding a comprehensive cease-fire. It would simply maintain the halt to hostilities and even withdraw its forces on an open-ended basis.

Who broke the ceasefire in Gaza?

It worth reading Robin Lustig's post on the events in the Gaza strip.

He reminds us that

On 4 November, when much of the world was watching Barack Obama win the US presidential election, Israeli forces crossed into the Gaza Strip and killed six Hamas fighters. Israel says Hamas was building a tunnel under the border fence at Deir al-Balah which it intended to use to kidnap Israeli soldiers. Hamas responded by launching rockets and mortar shells into Israel.

190 to be exact

Whereas during the ceasefire these were the figures on launches

19-30 June: 9
July: 20
August: 17
September: 2
October: 2

Newspaper comment on the groundforces in Gaza

There is much debate in the papers this morning over the weekend's events in the Gaza strip

The Times leader uses the crisis to point fingers at the lack of leadership from the EU coming at a time when the Presidential changeover only now swings into effect.

Here was an opportunity for the EU to take a diplomatic lead. The interregnum in the US, where the serving President is seeing out his time but his successor is still 15 days from inauguration, created a diplomatic vacuum. Hostilities in Gaza demanded a mature and united diplomatic response. But behind the perfunctory call for a ceasefire issued on Saturday, what it saw instead was an unseemly squabble.

The Indy echoes the call

With neither Israel nor Hamas in any mood to countenance a ceasefire, however, it is also worth noting that appeals from the outside would carry more conviction if they also came with some positive and practical suggestions for what might happen next. So far, in public at least, constructive proposals have been conspicuous by their absence. Indeed, circumstances have almost conspired to leave the field for such initiatives vacant.

The Guardian beleives that Israel's eventual victory will be hollow

even if the Israeli army succeeds in its aims and destroys Hamas both as an army and as an organisation, it will have also destroyed the last remnants of government in the strip. Israel would have fought its way back to where it was in 1994, before the advent of the Palestinian authority, and back in direct control of Gaza. That is plainly not what it wants, because it would mean re-assuming control of 1.5 million Gazans as well. Putting a proxy Palestinian government in place would be just as fraught. Destroying the infrastructure of Hamas's rule in Gaza would also wreck the effective government on which any future ceasefire would depend. To take one small but relevant example, half of Gaza's ambulances have already been destroyed.

The Telegraph recognises that

A determined enemy lies concealed in Gaza's tangled warren of alleys and, for the first time, the struggle will now be on relatively equal terms, creating a significant danger of heavy losses among Israeli forces. This makes it all the more imperative for the government to set out clear goals, achieve them with minimum loss of life on both sides and then leave Gaza as swiftly as possible.

However

Sadly, Mr Olmert has allowed a degree of confusion about his country's war aims to emerge. Fighting talk from his defence minister, Ehud Barak, of a "war to the bitter end" has given the impression that Israel seeks to destroy Hamas or, at the very least, overthrow its administration in Gaza. In reality, Israel's war aims are almost certainly confined to halting the rocket attacks which have sown such misery in its southern cities. Mr Olmert should make clear that this defensive measure is the only objective.

The Mail has

grave doubts, too, over the likely consequences of the invasion for the Israeli people themselves.

and asks

Isn’t there a strong risk that, far from making them safer, it will subject them to even greater danger in the long term, by heightening tensions in the region?

Some blogging perspective on the Gazan attacks

It is difficult to find any sympathy for Israel after the events of the last few days.

No matter what the provocation,the seemingly endless bombing of civilian targets in this day and age is fairly inexusable.

Israel will point to the breakdown in the ceasefire and the luanching of rockets on its own civilians by Hamas.

The best perspective on the violence is to look at the Global voices website which as on many past occassions gives a bloggers insight into both sides of the tale.

This from an Israeli blogger

My feelings about what happened in Gaza yesterday: I feel very sad that it had
to be that way. But it had to be that way. We can't let rockets rain down on our
citizens and do nothing. I look forward to the day -- may I live to see it --
when the Palestinian leadership figures out what "compromise" and "good
leadership" and "promises" and "tolerance" actually mean. I'd really like for
our army to have nothing to do. That would be fantastic

And this from a Gazan currently in the USA but talking about the experience of the in laws

I was out in the souk when the strikes began- I saw the missiles falling and
prayed; the earth shook; the smoke rose; the ambulances screamed" he said, the
sirens audible in the background. he was on talateeni street at the time of the
attacks, just a few streets down from one of the attack sites.My mother was in
the Red Crescent Society clinic near the universities at the time of the initial
wave of attacks, where she works part-time as a pediatrician. Behind the clinic
was one of the police centers that was leveled. She said she broke down at
first, the sheer proximity of the attacks having shaken her from the inside out.
After she got a hold of herself, they took to treating injured victims of the
attack, before they transferred them to Shifa hospital

Stranded in Gaza even though your name is (Blair)Booth

It doesn't matter what your name is or who are related to when it comes to dealing with the Israeli border police.

Lauren Booth,sister of Cherie has been taking part in trying to alert the world to humanitarian issues in Gaza and was part of two boats that sailed there carrying supplies.

Eventually the Israeli authorities let them land but Booth decided to return by land,accompanying a middle-aged Palestinian woman who had a medical referral for surgery in Jerusalem to remove a tumor on her spine.

Tim McGirk reports what happened when they tried to cross the border

when the party arrived at the no-mans’ land of Erez, a message was relayed from the Israelis. “We were told to stop or they’d open fire on us,” says Booth, adding caustically, “This is Israel’s approach to medical treatment.”then

after assurances from the British consul that she and the others would be let out through Egypt, they headed south to Rafah crossing –-only to be kept waiting for three hours in the sweltering heat by the Egyptians, and then denied entry.

Still in Gaza she is waiting for permission to cross.Perhaps her brother in law could have a word