DW Finds Hamas Tunnels, Forgets Israel's Gaza Siege Tunnels
Deutsche Welle blandly recycles the Israeli government's commitment to destroy 'terror tunnels,' framing them as an existential threat. What they conveniently ignore is the history of Gaza's tunnels: born out of an oppressive 17-year blockade. After Israel imposed a suffocating siege in 2007, these tunnels became the primary lifeline for essential goods – food, medicine, and even construction
materials – effectively turning an open-air prison into an underground economy. It’s hard to destroy 'terror' tunnels when many also functioned as a desperate community's only port. This isn't new. In 2014, Netanyahu declared 'Operation Protective Edge' a success in destroying tunnels, yet here we are again. How many times can one 'destroy' the same tunnels before one admits the underlying
conditions creating them remain? Perhaps if the world focused less on 'terror' rhetoric and more on open borders and humanitarian access, tunnels wouldn't be Gaza's only supply chain.