2 Palestinians killed in collapse of Hamas terror tunnel

A Palestinian works in a tunnel in Gaza. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

Another two Palestinians have died while digging tunnels for the Hamas terror organization.

Two Palestinian terror operatives were killed in Gaza on Thursday when the terror tunnel they were working in collapsed on them.

The Hamas terror organization, which rules Gaza, stated that the two were members of their organization. Hamas said they were working in a “resistance tunnel,” their term for tunnels used to infiltrate Israel and attack civilians.

The tunnel was situated in the Shaja’ia neighborhood, near the border with Israel.

Another Palestinian was injured in the incident.

Tens of Palestinian workers have been killed by collapsed tunnels. The IDF has warned the residents of Gaza that this occupation is hazardous.

Egyptian operations against the tunnels and possible Israeli involvement were indicated as likely causes for the tunnel collapses.

Hamas is reportedly having a difficult time contending with the repeated loss of the tunnels and the workers. Hamas lost four diggers over the weekend when the tunnel they were working in, on the border with Egypt, was flooded by the Egyptian army.

Speaking to IDF Radio on Thursday, Israeli Minister of Housing Yoav Galant, a former IDF general, said that the tunnels in question are attack tunnels and that Israel is dealing with the situation.

The terror organization is employing over 1,000 residents of Gaza in the digging of its cross-border tunnels and is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars monthly in wages. Each digger receives $300-400 a month.

Hamas has built a sophisticated network of tunnels used to penetrate Israel in order to carry out terror attacks against civilians and soldiers and to smuggle goods and weapons in and out of Gaza through the Sinai Peninsula.

The IDF destroyed most of the tunnels during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014, but Hamas has since been working vigorously to rebuild the network. The IDF has exposed several of them.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

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