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A protester holds a symbolic piece of metal wall with a placard written in Arabic: “What is on your consciences, Egyptian leaders?”

The United States has offered its full-fledged support for the building of a wall by Egypt to disrupt the Gaza Strip’s lifeline that moves basic items underground past the Israeli-imposed blockade.

The construction of the steel tunnel-impervious wall, believed to have started some time in November, comes in line with Israeli and Egyptian accusations that Palestinian resistance fighters use the tunnels for procuring and storing weapons for use against the Israelis.

Washington, the chief Israeli backer, echoed the allegations on Tuesday and voiced support for installing the steel walls, which are reported to be designed by US army engineers.

“We believe that weapon-smuggling should stop and that measures taken to stop that weapon-smuggling should be, could be carried out, yes,” said State Department Spokesman Gordon Duguid.

The US support and even financing of numerous Israeli walls to further suppress the Palestinians come despite their repeated boasting of having rejected the Soviet-era Berlin wall, which served a similar purpose.

The Palestinian tunnel network across the Gaza Strip border with Egypt has become an economic lifeline for the 1.5 million people in the impoverished territory who face starvation due to the crippling Israeli siege that has been imposed since 2007.

The tunnels, described as ‘food tubes’ by the Palestinians, regularly come under Israeli air strikes while the Egyptian government makes attempts to flood them with water and gas.

The Cairo government announced a ban on aid convoys bound for the Gaza Strip via its soil in the past weekend, after anti-wall protesters clashed with Egyptian border police.

“Egypt will no longer allow convoys, regardless of their origin or who is organizing them, to cross its territory,” said Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.