Terror tunnel extending into Israel neutralized

In recent hours, IDF forces have neutralized a tunnel of terror in the central Gaza Strip. The IDF said that the tunnel penetrated some 200 meters (220 yards) into Israeli territory.

The IDF also noted that the tunnel was not adjacent to any of the Israeli communities near Gaza, and had been under surveillance until its neutralization today.

 

“We just destroyed a cross-border terror tunnel that infiltrated Israel from Gaza, built by Hamas with the aim of carrying out an attack on a nearby Israeli community, the IDF said on Twitter.

 

“This is the 15th tunnel we’ve destroyed in the last year.”

 

The IDF said that the route of the tunnel was discovered as part of the ongoing technological, operational and intelligence efforts to locate and neutralize terror tunnels which began during Operation "Protective Edge" and have expanded over the last year.

An engineering operation led by the Southern Command, the Intelligence Directorate and MAF'AT (the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Infrastructure) neutralized the tunnel within Israeli territory.

 

Head of the IDF's International Press and New Media Branch, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, said following the demolition,"Beneath the Gaza Strip lies an underground Gaza – a tunnel network equivalent to the 'Subway’. Unfortunately, Hamas does not intend to build the world's next public transportation services. Rather, it uses underground Gaza for its abhorrent strategy to carry out lethal attacks against Israeli civilians."

 

"Hamas abuses the resources intended to aid the residents of Gaza, using them to construct offensive military infrastructure that seeks to violate Israeli sovereignty and threatens Israeli citizens— whether via violent protests along the security fence or by firing mortars and rockets into Israeli territory. We will continue to fulfill the mission of protecting our territory."