Speaking to Egypt's Bawabat Al-Ahram newspaper, Ahmed Ali, a spokesman for the Egyptian army, confirmed that Egypt's armed forces aimed to damage all tunnels on the Sinai-Gaza border for security reasons.

Ali said that maintaining security in Egypt does not contradict supporting the Palestinian cause, and the flooding of the tunnels should not upset supporters of Palestine.

"Gaza has its legitimate crosspoints such as Rafah and Kerem Shalom, where it can import and export goods. Therefore, remarks about Egypt supporting the siege over Gaza need to be reconsidered," Ali said.

Despite the immediate repercussions for ordinary Palestinians in Gaza, closing the tunnels might push forward the slow Palestinian national reconciliation process between Fatah and Hamas, as they will have to form a united authority on its borders.

While Egypt's decision is understandable, the timing of it is surprising, says Gaza-based political analyst Talal Okal.


Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/02/egypt-floods-gaza-tunnels.html#ixzz2LcPukDP7