2 Hamas terrorists killed in tunnel collapse; cause unknown

Two Hamas terrorists were killed in a tunnel collapse caused by an unexplained explosion.  

Two Hamas terrorists were killed on Thursday morning following a collapse of a smuggling tunnel running from the Gaza Strip into the Sinai.

The collapse, which was reportedly caused by an explosion, also wounded five others Hamas members.

Hamas claimed that the tunnel collapse was caused by an Israeli airstrike. The IDF denied it had carried out an airstrike.

The explosion may have been caused by the Egyptian military, which has been operating against the smuggling tunnels. The tunnels are also used to smuggle weapons and terror operatives in and out of Gaza.

The explosion occurred just hours after terrorists operating out of Egypt fired four missiles towards the southern city of Eilat late Wednesday night. An Iron Dome anti-missile defensive system successfully intercepted three of the projectiles, while the fourth exploded in an open space outside the city.

No damage was caused by the attack, but four people were treated for shock at a local hospital.

While the residents of one of Israel’s most popular tourism destinations were rattled by the rare incident, life quickly returned to its normal course, and no cancellations of reservations or events were registered.

Rocket attacks on Eilat are relatively rare. Islamic State (ISIS)-affiliated terrorists in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula have been behind a number of attacks on the city and on Israel’s border with Egypt in recent years.

ISIS in Sinai and Hamas in Gaza are known to collaborate.

This rocket attack comes just days after terrorists from Gaza fired a rocket at Israel’s civilians in the south. The rocket exploded in an open space on Monday, causing no casualties or damage. The IDF retaliated with tank shelling and airstrikes on Hamas targets inside Gaza.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

GazaHamasRocket AttackSmuggling tunnel