Terror tunnel discovered under Jewish community near Jerusalem

‘This is an entrance sleeve, like an entrance tunnel about twenty meters wide, and the end of this tunnel is inside Giv’on HaHadashah.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Col. Moshe Leshem has raised the alarm about an exposed terror tunnel in a community just outside of Jerusalem.

Leshem spoke to Arutz Sheva about the home of a notorious Palestinian rioter that is being used as a hostile enclave within a Jewish community and the “sleeve” surrounding it.

The former IDF officer foresees a disaster similar to the Hamas invasion of kibbutzim in the South with even fewer protections than those provided in those communities.

He said, “Giv’on HaHadashah is adjacent to a number of Arab villages such as Beit Iksa, Bidu, Beit Furik and others where rioters live.”

“Beit Iksa is literally meters away from Giv’on HaHadashah’s security fence,” he added. 

The construction of a fence in an area of a road that encircles Jerusalem and is patrolled by Border Police has created a “sleeve” that can provide access to a hill in the middle of the Jewish community between the houses.

The “sleeve” was built following a High Court decision in 2006.

Located in the area of the sleeve is the home of a notorious Palestinian rioter, Sabri Agraev, who took ownership of the house without permission.

It should be noted that although Agraev claims Israel is occupying the area around his house, Giv’on HaHadashah is located on Jewish land that was acquired legally in 1921.

Agraev supports expelling the Jews from the area, and there have been attempts to persuade him to leave his house.

The house occupied by Agraev is less than five meters from homes in Giv’on HaHadasha.

Col. Leshem explained, “Two options were brought up by the High Court. One was to vacate his house in exchange for compensation, to enable him to build or buy another house in the nearby village.”

He added, “The other option was to erect a fence around his house, like a kind of corridor, from Beit Iksa’s house to his house, which is several dozen meters long and makes its way into the village.”

Agraev refused to accept the first option, because he wanted to live close to Israelis to make trouble, as Col. Leshem said, “He is representing the Arab struggle for the Land of Israel. Some of his family members have been arrested for acts of terrorism. This is a well-known family of rioters.”

The location of Agraev’s house, along with the “sleeve,” which Leshem refers to as an “exposed tunnel,” poses a threat to Israeli residents.

Col. Leshem recounts, “After the outbreak of the war, on October 12, I addressed Minister Ben Gvir, MK Fogel, and various IDF officials and suggested that they personally come to see this danger. So far, no one has come to see the writing on the wall.”

Officials have said demolishing the house is out of the question. Col. Leshem says, “Residents of Giv’on HaHadashah are extremely worried about security in the village, but there is not much they can do.”

He added, “This is not a frontline post. This is an entrance sleeve, like an entrance tunnel about twenty meters wide, and the end of this tunnel is inside Giv’on HaHadashah. Not near Giv’on HaHadashah, but within it.”

He continued, “Even with the simplest hostile means, the terrorists could be inside our homes in a very short period of time. Sadly we have already seen what could happen.”

“We saw how the fences in the Gaza surrounding communities were breached, despite the sensors, the lookouts, and the soldiers on the fence. We have none here, so the disaster may happen, and the writing is on the wall,” he concluded.

JerusalemJudea and SamariaPalestinian terrorism