RAFAH
An Egyptian young woman Menal Abdollah (17) living in Rahaf province of Egypt passed Gaza through a tunnel in her wedding gown, in order to marry her Palestinian fiance Imad (21).
Egyptian authorities did not allow Menal to enter Gaza via border gate and she had to go to Gaza via tunnels.
AA witnessed Menal's passage to her new life in Gaza through the dark tunnel with her white wedding gown on.
Engaged six months ago, and communicated only via telephone during that period, the groom received his bride from her family not from her house but in the tunnel.
The young couple walked about 500 meters in the tunnel amid applauds and cheers to reach Gaza. Upon reaching the surface, they got in the car waiting for them and went to the wedding hall.
Israel's embargo on Gaza and Mubarek administration closing the Rafah gate led Palestinians to tunnels.
It was estimated that there are around 1,000 tunnels in the 14-kilometers-long border between Gaza and Egypt. The needs of Gazans were met via tunnels amid the Isreali embargo.
Reporting by Hani es-Sair
