I was grateful to be part of a lively and educational exchange, at NIU, following an eyewitness account of experiences in Gaza which I was invited to present, on April 23, at the Holmes Student Center.

The Northern Star correctly reports that there was an extensive network of tunnels between Egypt and Gaza. Because Israel had closed the border crossings that formerly allowed importation of needed goods, Gazans resorted to creating a “tunnel industry,” which could be quite lucrative for anyone who owned a tunnel.

The article states that “Kelly entered the Gaza Strip through one of the nearly 3,000 tunnels from Egypt.” I entered Gaza at the Rafah border crossing, above ground, carrying a notarized letter from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo which facilitated this entry.

The letter simply stated that I was responsible for my own safety. A tunnel owner had suggested that for $3,000 U.S. dollars it would be possible to enter Gaza through a tunnel, but this sum was well beyond what I could afford. It’s estimated that there were 1,700 tunnels built between Egypt and Gaza.

Thank you for receiving these corrections to Kyle Nabor’s otherwise accurate and thoughtful coverage.