Second body found after Gaza tunnel collapse
Hamas ministry says the body of Mohammed Abbas of Rafah was recovered from passage under border with Egypt
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GAZA CITY — A second Gazan was found dead Sunday after the collapse of a tunnel on the Egypt border, the interior ministry in the Islamist Hamas-run enclave said.
On Thursday, rescue services said seven men had been trapped in the collapse.
Five were rescued, but on Sunday the ministry said they had retrieved the body of Mohammed Abbas of Rafah, after announcing the death of a man named as Fadi Abu Dan.
A local civil defense official described the underground passage from the southern Gaza town of Rafah into neighboring Egypt as a “trade tunnel.”
The cave-in was caused by Egyptian flooding of the border zone in its campaign to stop smuggling, the official told AFP.
Since January 26, at least 12 Gazans have been killed in five separate tunnel collapses with both Israel and Egypt operating against the diggers.
An Israeli naval blockade severely restricts the movement into and out of the territory of people and any materials which Israel fears could be used for weapons production or tunnel digging. Egypt’s sole border crossing with Gaza has also remained largely closed since 2013.
The tunnels into Egypt are used for transit of commercial goods, cash, people and, allegedly, weapons.
Hamas is also actively digging tunnels under the border with Israel, which have been used in the past to launch attacks inside Israeli territory.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.