Gaza Opens Olympic Size Swimming Pool

Tamar Sternthal
CAMERA/Snapshots
23 May '10

The Palestinian Maan News Agency reports that an Olympic-sized swimming pool has opened in the Gaza Strip.

This development raises a key questions that reporters should keep in mind:

1) News reports constantly remind us about the cement shortages in the Gaza Strip. Given the reported shortage, which is allegedly delaying the building of critical infrastructure such as sewage projects, schools, and homes, how is cement available to build an Olympic-sized pool?

2) Given the reported shortages of water in the Gaza Strip, is an Olympic swimming pool really the best use of this precious resource?

3) This week a flotilla of aid ships from Greece and Cyprus, carrying some 10,000 tons of basic supplies, including construction material, is scheduled to reach the Gaza Strip this week. Will the hundreds of Freedom Flotilla passengers have a chance to take a dip in the pool after they deliver the desperately needed construction supplies? (BTW, in the last week, Israel reportedly delivered 14,000 tons of supplies into the Gaza Strip.)

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