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Report: Palestinian 'Death Boats' a Scandal

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Hundreds of Palestinians are missing and may have drowned as boats carrying them away from the Gaza Strip sank in the Mediterranean.

The Gatestone Institute's Khaled Abu Toameh reports that Palestinians call the incident the "Death Boats" scandal.

Desperate Palestinians trying to leave Hamas rule in Gaza pay as much as $5,000 per person to Egyptian and Hamas gangs who supervise the boat-running operation to Europe.

The gangs are reportedly fighting each other to get the payments from Palestinians who want out.

Some analysts estimate 13,000 Palestinians have employed the gangs to escape. Another 25,000 Gazans have applied to emigrate to Europe.

Many of the would-be emigrants leave through a tunnel managed by a senior Hamas operative, one of the tunnels that wasn't destroyed in Israel's military operation, Operation Protective Edge, in July and August.

Toameh quoted Ahmed Bader, the father of one young man who left through a tunnel.

"Hamas has failed to help the Palestinians ever since it came to power in 2007," Bader said. "There is nothing for young people to do in the Gaza Strip: no jobs, no entertainment, and no security. Young men who graduate from universities cannot find work if they are not members of Hamas."

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority blame Israel and each other for creating the conditions that led residents to flee. One Hamas member said President Mahmoud Abbas is a helpless 80-year-old man "who suffers from half the diseases of the universe."

The Palestinian Authority says the people are trying to escape "the hell of Hamas."

Toameh reports speculation that Hamas is feigning a show of unity with the Palestinian Authority as a "tool" to try to route funds from the international community into the Gaza Strip, with a good portion of the money destined for bank accounts of top Hamas officials.

Toameh concludes, "As the past few weeks have shown, hundreds if not thousands, of Palestinians would rather risk their lives at sea than live under Palestinian governments and leaders whose only goal is to enrich their bank accounts."

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About The Author

John
Waage

John Waage has covered politics and analyzed elections for CBN New since 1980, including primaries, conventions, and general elections. He also analyzes the convulsive politics of the Middle East.