Egyptian border guards detained three Palestinians on Monday for attempting to enter the Gaza Strip through underground tunnels from Egypt, DPA reported.
A security source told the agency that the trio had also entered Egypt illegally through the tunnels.
Witnesses said efforts by Egypt to demolish the tunnels are proceeding slowly. Authorities had announced the closure of 150 tunnels out of more than 1000 scattered along the border with Gaza. Egypt has kept the Rafah land crossing, Gaza’s only land outlet to the outer world, open for Palestine-bound travelers since Friday.
Egypt closed the crossing after 16 soldiers were killed in an attack by unknown militants last week at a checkpoint near Rafah. Following the attack, many called for the demolition of the tunnels, believing that they helped extremist groups operating in Sinai.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
