supply all of Gaza through the tunnels. If it is so profitable, why should they care. Let Gazans build their own economy, and let Gazans find work in Gaza. Next don't even bother letting them enter Israel. Their lot belongs with the other Arabs in Egypt and Jordan. The sooner Gaza can be spun free from Israel, the better.

Gucci and Prada glasses frames are not confined to Israeli only!! This situation has been created by the unjust collective punishment by Israel.... Furthermore, Hamas is stronger, more popular and wealthier than ever!! Congrats on political achievements by the "big dum israel"!!!

when israel try to punish 1.25 milion people by killing them and then they try to find a way to live by paying there life .. then it's a normal result from such oppressive israeli behavior ... but when educative person try to making fun of this people zzzzzzzzzzz shame on u

You worship the death merchants. Contratulations.

The rockets will start again and when they do bunker busting bombs should drop on the tunnels and let the crazy Jew haters see how killing Jews relates to going hungry.

Like the authors says if everyone is doing well then no one is complaining. This situation is good for the Gazans and Israelis. They are doing business and not needing to cross into Israel to do it. If Hamas is stronger for it, so what? There is no difference between them and Fatah with the exception that Hamas has killed alot less people.

Dear Jalal: I am sorry for your suffering. Your strip of land has been dipped in misery for so long that it is hard to believe anyone stays. Were you around before the '67 war? I was, and in fact, I spent some miserable months in Gaza at that time. Unfortunately, your Egyptian friends, among others tired to wipe me family, and land off the map, and in the process of defending ourselves against annhialation, your strip got caught in the middle. We never wanted to occupy your strip, never did, don't now. But some of your people never got over the idea of annhialating my land and my people. So even when we withdrew from the strip, they kept trying to kill us. As you know, if you try to kill me, then I am very likely to try to stop you, without consideration for your suffering. So here we are today, wasting energy on weapons, tunnels, hatred. I would like to live in peace with you; however, I promise you that if you try to kill me one more time, I regret to inform you but I will be very tempted to push you out of missile range, no matter how far that may be.

Of course, the lower classes in Gaza, and people with no connections to the money pipeline, don't see their assistance. Someone has to be kept starving and suffering in order to feed this greed. Someone needs to be kept in misery so that the world will keep the gravy train flowing for the people at the top.

They collectively voted Hamas for war with Israel, so that argument doesn't wash anymore. They must be making a fortune with the greenhouses that were donated to them.

both are at peace with Israel, why can't they, in agreement with Israel, annex and administer Gaza and the Judenrein parts of the West Bank, respectively?

When the Gazans were using the tunnels to smuggle weapons, you denounced them asking why they didn't smuggle food instead. Now that Gaza is smuggling the commodities of modern life (instead of weapons), you denounce them saying that the tunnels should be closed. What a bunch of hypocrites! Lastly, to #9 David M, if that's your position to justify collective punishment, then apply your justifications equally. The Israelis also elect their government, the one that drops bombs on Palestinians. Hence, with your logic, all Israelis are legitimate targets. Think before you write.

Smadar , It really does take a warped point of view to take the Gaza Hell and paint pictures of heavenly shopping malls and stuffed supermmarkets. If you think this is such a fun way to live I suggest you subject your own family , specially your children to this depravation. You do your fellow people no good by helping to gloss over the crimes of your government to ease your conscience for a day. The suffering in Gaza is real. You are part of it with your sardonic quips and perverted portrayals. Deep shame .

Dear Writer, With all due respect, I do not see it fair, and this is my personal opinion, for you to comapre what is world crisis with a small number of people smuggling few goods for daily use (food and medicine to sick under seige people). Anothe point I want to raise is that the exaggurated estimate number supermatkets - for your information and to those who do not know, the largest supermaket in Gaza does not exceed 1000 m2 in area and employ 10 labors at the maximum - where are these 500 supermarkets located? these are all small grossery shops that is being managed by one person - its owner. Please be factual and transfer your ideas to your readers in a fair way. We've been living under curfew for more than two years now and some times we do not find milk to feed our kids - diffenetly we will not ask about the source or price for what we need - why not open your boarders for such goods,,,,,,,,,,, Imagine yourself living in the same circumestanses what would you do? People here are hungry, no food, no medicine,,,, do not say ask Hamas to help - the israeli curfew has been on going for ages now but increased after Hamas was elected democraticly and won - now Israel & USA are punishing all 1.5 million palestinians living in Gaza because of that?????? wht is going on - what do you want?

Next time try reading the article. She isn't denouncing anyone. She's describing how merchant have become successful from the tunnels.

The difference is that Arafat chose war instead of negotiation, after pledging to the contrary. Attacks on Israelis increased after the signing of the Oslo accords. Arafat could have had 95% of what he wanted with the other 5% made up elsewhere; the palestinians could have had a state. Arafat stole billion$ from his people and chose war while the Israelis collectively voted for peace via Oslo. I initially agreed with the disengagement from Gaza until the arabs started attacking Israel from there. They wanted Gaza and Israel gave it to them but I guess they wanted more: the destruction of Israel. Maybe if Israel votes to collectively commit suicide the arabs would be happy, but they would probably demand that they dig their own graves first.

for your democratically elected government to release the person it kidnapped. I believe you have more freedom than he does.

No person here is a hypocrite but you! Get off your ass living in England and move back to Jordan or wherever the heck you came from! These tunnels are connected to Egypt and not to Israel, I repeat not to Israel! You're the hypocrite by coming to an Israeli on-line newspaper saying the Gazans are under collective punishment from the Israelis and that's why they need to smuggle in all these goods! You make me want to vomit! Why--because that has nothing to do with this situation! Yes, the Israelis have blocked their borders but the Arabs in Egypt are also blocking their borders to their fellow Arabs! And that's the point here! Why don't you go to an Egyptian on-line newspaper and blame their government for letting their Arab brethren in Gaza starve? First, you wouldn't even be allowed to say such a thing in the Egyptian press. Second anyone saying such a thing in Egypt like let's tear down the border with Gaza would be immediately arrested or even get a worse fate! The Egyptians are deliberately shutting their borders to Gaza because of 2 reasons, one to punish and not reward Hamas. The Egyptian government is at war with the Islamic brotherhood. And secondly, the Egyptian government has closed its borders to Gaza as part and parcel of its state run anti-Israel campaign. The Egyptians are trying to get stupid fools like you to blame Israel for all the problems in Gaza! You're a hypocrite because you're blaming the wrong side, the Jews rather than your Arab brethren for the reason why smuggling tunnels are so prevalent in Gaza!

the abduction of shalit was well after the group that the US and israel opposes won. and he is right, that the curfews has been going on at least since i first came here, in 01' under arafat if not longer. i will refrain from ridiculing you now with you talking from the US so i will go on with the point: so, i now, along with #13 want to know, what do they want? why is hamas the "bad guy"? all these factions, including fatih should be constantly exposed in the media, sorry to burst your bubble.

What about the 10,000 + kidnapped persons in Israel??? Don't tell me they have Israeli blood in there hands and all that stuff - because all israelis hav Palestinain/Arab blood in there hands as well so lets not get to that,,,, In my respond to writer I just wanted to correct part of the information in the article - point of view - thats all - and you Mr, Bill want to mix issues Have a good day.

If it wasn't Shalit, then it's the rockets being launched into Israeli cities but those stopped so Ahmed asked what more do they want. The release of the Israeli prisoner would seem appropriate. At the very least they should allow an international organization to check on his condition as Israel allows for Arab prisoners. How about that "goodwill gesture" if you want the siege to end? By the way Mr. X in Jerusalem you didn't burst my bubble. Living in the US doesn't mean anything since we are talking about one of, if not the most media-covered nation on earth. Your post only proved that you can live in the middle of the events being discussed and still remain clueless.

The entire Arab world (except Egypt and Jordan), plus Iran have implemented collective punishment against the Israel, hasn't it? Or did I miss something? The difference is the effectiveness of their collective punishment. And of course, civilians should never be targets. Not on either side.

Well written Ahmed, the human suffering by civilians is unfortunate. I think the people on this talk back are frustrated because of the fancy designer goods, when all we hear about is the lack of milk, etc. To make matters worse the pictures of that British woman last month in a very well stocked Gaza grocery store, holding bags of groceries is a bit of an insult. To answer your question - I would probably do the same in that situation. If my family were hungry I would do what it takes to feed them. But I wonder, do you think just because HAMAS was democratically elected the entire world should embrace them? Just being elected does not earn a government into a special pass. Don't forget Hitler was democratically elected, and Saddam Hussein got 99 per cent of his countries vote. But I would also question my governments strategy. HAMAS knows they must recognize Israel and denounce violence, but they continue to refuse. They could end this thing pretty quickly, but they have not budged. Palestinian people are suffering, ultimately it is their elected leaders responsibility to fix it.

Why not to cut the long story short? Why does not Israel release the nubmer of presoners that Hamas is asking for about 1000 number mostly women and children against Shalit thru the Egyptions and close this subject. Israel has recently changed one of the most wanted lebaneas men to Israel agaist dead soldiers, didn't it happen? cease fire is on going between Hamas and Israel and yet the seige continues - even the Israel IDF are happy with such cease fire but nit committed as Hamas does. Israelis living in the south, close to Gaza are living in peace that was absent for years and so our people in the north of Gaza. Look we have left the original issue (writers article) and talking politics. anyways, I am pleased to have passed some factual informations and personal opinion to you and other readers. I have no problem to be contacted via my email by you Bill to talk about some other conflicts between us while thinking that you may be an Israeli. Regards,