IDF uncovers fourth Hezbollah tunnel cutting into Israel

The Israel Defense Forces discovered a fourth Hezbollah tunnel crossing into Israeli territory over the weekend.

By World Israel News Staff

The Israel Defense Forces discovered a fourth Hezbollah tunnel crossing into Israeli territory over the weekend, the IDF revealed on Sunday. The tunnel is in Israel’s hands and does not pose a threat, the IDF reports.

“The responsibility for the tunnel digging from Lebanese territory is the Lebanese government’s,” the IDF noted. “We’re speaking about a severe violation of Resolution 1701 and the State of Israel’s sovereignty.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday, “Our operation to deny Hezbollah the tunnels weapon is proceeding according to plan and will continue until all of its goals are achieved.”

On Dec. 4, Israel began Operation Northern Shield to uncover and destroy Hezbollah’s terror tunnels entering Israel, part of a larger plan for a small-scale invasion of Israel’s upper Galilee region.

Only hours into the operation, the IDF revealed it had uncovered the first Hezbollah tunnel running under Israel’s border with Lebanon, built “with the intention of harming Israeli civilians,” the Israeli Army said.

That tunnel, which had been excavated from inside a private home and took an estimated two years to build, was 200 meters long, with 40 of of those meters penetrating Israeli territory.

Hamas’s leadership has remained uncharacteristically silent following the exposure of their tunnels, which is by all accounts, a significant strategic loss to the terror group.

For years, Israeli citizens in the north of the country have been complaining to authorities about hearing the noise of digging underground. IDF spokesman Brig.-General Ronen Manelis said in an interview with the weekly Israeli newspaper Makor Rishon that the citizens’ reports helped the IDF narrow down the location of the tunnels.