IDF forces at the entrance to an exposed Hamas tunnel. (IDF)
The IDF has again exposed and neutralized a threat emanating from a Hamas terror tunnel.
The IDF on Monday blew up and demolished a Hamas-built terror tunnel on the Gaza Strip border.
An IDF spokesperson announced that the tunnel, which was still in its construction phase, ran into Israel, and was demolished inside Israeli territory.
“This consists of a blatant breach of Israel’s sovereignty, an unacceptable situation which prompted the IDF’s actions,” the IDF stated.
The IDF revealed that the tunnel was exposed through the use of “advanced technology,” and it considers the operation a success.
The operation to detect and demolish terror tunnels is an ongoing process, the IDF stated, pointing out that its capabilities to carry out this mission are constantly improving.
“The Hamas terror organization is the address and is responsible for anything that occurs in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF stressed, while adding that “it has no intentions of deteriorating the situation, but is prepared for all developments.”
IDF Spokesman Brigadier General Ronen Manelis said the IDF has been tracking the tunnel for some time, and at no point did it constitute a threat.
The area in which the tunnel was exposed is not yet protected by the IDF’s new underground obstacle, currently under construction and meant to contend with Hamas’ terror-tunnel threat.
Commenting on the incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “anyone who tries to harm us, we will harm them.”
Hamas has built a sophisticated network of terror tunnels in the Gaza Strip and running into Israel, used for storing weapons, smuggling and terrorist infiltrations into Israel.
During the 2014 summer war with Israel, Hamas terrorists on several occasions made their way into Israel through terror tunnels, although they did not manage to reach civilian areas.
Israel destroyed 32 tunnels during that conflict, but Hamas has since been working vigorously to rebuild the network, and the IDF has since made neutralizing the tunnel threat a top priority. The IDF has exposed several more tunnels since the 2014 conflict.
By: World israel News Staff
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