A Palestinian human rights organisation claims that 141 Palestinians have been killed and another 353 injured working in the tunnels between Gaza and Egypt since 2006. The Mezan Centre for Human Rights says that 166 of those were killed in 2008/9 alone; five Palestinians have been killed in the tunnels used to smuggle essential goods into the besieged territory so far in 2010, with 106 injured.

According to the statistics provided by the Mezan Centre, 2009 saw the highest number of casualties to-date. The deaths and injuries were due to Israeli bombs as the occupation forces tried to destroy the tunnels described in the Western media as "the lifeline" for the people of Gaza. Such bombings are regular occurrences but get little or no publicity in the Western media.

The Mezan Centre's report on this tragic situation points out that the majority of the victims were motivated to work in such a dangerous environment because of the poverty caused by the Israeli-led blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Source: Quds Press