The Israeli army has found what they said is a new 132-foot “infiltration tunnel” from Gaza reportedly dug by Hamas militants.
Israel used new technology to discover the cross-border tunnel,
Reuters reported.
Some believe militants have been digging new tunnels since the 2014 Gaza war, when a network of hundreds of meters of tunnels on the Israeli side of the Gaza Strip were demolished.
"The government has invested a huge fortune in thwarting the tunnel threat. This is an ongoing effort. It does not end overnight," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV statement.
Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said the tunnel was mostly built after the Gaza war.
Simon Azoulai, a 50-year-old father of three who lives near where the tunnel was discovered, said residents weren’t aware of the tunnel and hadn’t heard any digging noises,
The Jerusalem Post reported.
"It gives us a little peace of mind knowing that security forces are working to hinder Hamas activities," he said.
Community leaders called for rapid construction of a barrier along the border.
Hamas's military wing implied responsibility for the tunnel, calling it "only a drop in the ocean of what the resistance has prepared in order defend our people, the freedom of the holy places and its land and captives,"
AFP reported.
32 tunnels were discovered during the Gaza war, which killed 2,251 Palestinians and 73 Israelis, AFP said.
"The tunnel uncovered in Israel demonstrates once more Hamas's warped priorities and continued commitment and investment in tools of violence," Lerner said,
according to the BBC.
The tunnel was lined with concrete and included an electricity supply, ventilation, and rail tracks. It was found about 3.5 miles from Gaza near the community of Sufa.
Hamas leaders called it an “old tunnel” and claimed that the Israeli government announced its discovery to gain continued U.S. support for its anti-tunnels project.
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