Egypt foils attempt to smuggle cement into Gaza

RAFAH - Egyptian authorities foiled Saturday an attempt to smuggle a huge quantity of building materials into the Gaza Strip through secret tunnels at border.

Around 20 truckloads of steel and cement were seized during a campaign in Rafah near Egypt-Gaza borders, a security source told Xinhua.

The shipment was prepared for smuggling through three tunnel openings found at borders, the source added, saying that the traffickers managed to escape.

After Israel imposed a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip in 2007 and closed down all commercial crossings with the enclave, the Palestinians dug hundreds of smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt borders, the report said.