The Rafah Tunnel Trade

When Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982, the city of Rafah was suddenly split between Egypt and Gaza, riven by an immense metal and concrete wall. Families found themselves divided by a high-security international border, though their houses often lay less than a hundred meters apart. Before long, some influential families moved their businesses underground, burrowing dozens of secret tunnels under the border fence. These were principally used for contraband: with border trade relatively open, there was no financial incentive for smuggling ordinary goods.