IDF destroys Gaza Hamas terror tunnel entering Israel

Israel’s military destroyed an advanced Hamas offensive tunnel that had crossed from the Gaza Strip some 200 meters into southern Israel.

It was located by advanced technologies, which pinpointed its exact location as part of the ongoing Israeli effort to destroy all underground terror infrastructure. The tunnel was the 15th tunnel detected and destroyed by the military since October 2017.

The latest tunnel was connected to a network of other Hamas tunnels inside the coastal enclave, incorporated various new methods of construction which the military believes Hamas used to get around the IDF’s tunnel detection system. 

“It had different construction methods to what we’ve seen,” IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis said, adding that the military could not divulge exactly what type of material was used.

Inside the tunnel, The tunnel infiltrated Israel from the Khan Younis area, and stretched mo a kilometer long inside Gaza and 200 meters into Israel, was fitted with an electricity and phone network, showing the advanced level of building by the terrorist group.

It is believed that it was meant to allow Hamas to carry out a terror attack in Israeli territory, and had been under surveillance until it was neutralized on Thursday by an engineering operation inside Israeli territory. That operation was led by the Southern Command, the Intelligence Branch and the Defense Ministry.

“Hamas continues to invest considerable resources in building infrastructures aimed at harming Israeli citizens,” the military said in a statement. “This economic investment, which comes at the expense of the welfare of the residents of the Gaza Strip, proves the exploitation of the population for terrorist purposes.”

“The IDF is determined to continue to defend Israel’s sovereignty and the security of its citizens and will continue to act decisively against terrorism,” the military added.

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman also commented on the tunnel’s neutralization, tweeting on Thursday that Israel “never stops working for a minute, above and under the ground. The terror tunnel we destroyed this morning is another tunnel which will not serve Hamas in the next campaign.”

Earlier on Thursday, Iron Dome missile defense system fired interceptors over what the IDF said was a false alarm.

“An interceptor missile was fired from the Iron Dome system as a result of an incorrect identification,” the army said in a statement, adding that “there were no launches from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli territory.”

The Code Red rocket alert siren blared throughout communities in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council, Sdot Negev Regional Council and in the city of Netivot at 10:07 a.m.

The border area by the Gaza Strip has been tense in recent months, and the sirens were activated just hours after the military closed several roads near the border due to IDF activity in the area.

Gazans have been taking part in violent demonstrations along the border fence every evening in the past few weeks, throwing explosive devices, grenades and stones at IDF troops, as well as burning tires.

Nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed and thousands others wounded since the outbreak of the Gaza border protests which began on March 30, and which call for an end of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians have also been launching incendiary aerial devices into southern Israel from the coastal enclave, burning more than 2,800 hectares of agricultural fields, forests and nature reserves.

Nevertheless, according to Manelis, the military has noticed a drop in clashes along the security fence and incendiary aerial devices in recent days.

“There are indications of an intent to simmer down the violence a little,” he said. “In the last week, Hamas has seen different attempts to improve the humanitarian condition in the [Gaza] Strip and it is responding to that. The significant test will be tomorrow.”

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