Death of an Intifada

It's looking more and more like Israel is winning the war.

The Jerusalem Report writes "Al-Aqsa Brigades says the Palestinian uprising is as good as over" and MAARIV reports of a "Threat of mutiny in PA security forces".

Today from Reuters we get this story.

Palestinians turn on tunnel men
Sun 6 June, 2004 05:43

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Mustafa used to fear little but a periodic Israeli army raid as he dug arms smuggling tunnels into the Gaza Strip for the Palestinian revolt. Now he has to worry about the neighbours too.

Running guns and contraband through tunnels into Rafah refugee camp from nearby Egypt was once both profitable and patriotic in Palestinian eyes. It put rare cash into a poor economy and fuelled "resistance" to Israeli occupation in Gaza.

But communal support for the smugglers has cooled as Israeli forces have razed more and more parts of Rafah said to be hiding tunnels. With 13,000 people now homeless, many of whom say they concealed nothing, residents are turning on the tunnel men.

"Many people now oppose our work. I know of cases where people have noticed others digging a tunnel and they have assaulted them," said Mustafa, a veteran Rafah tunnel builder who declined to give his family name.
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