Israel’s military destroyed a « disused » Hamas tunnel near the Gaza Strip on Sunday, officials said,
March 18 (UPI) — Israel’s military destroyed a « disused » Hamas tunnel near the Gaza Strip on Sunday, officials said,
The Israel Defense Forces used « precise intel and new tech » to destroy the tunnel that could be used to carry out attacks, IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus said.
« IDF thwarted attempt by Hamas to renew old terror tunnel near Kerem Shalom, » Conricus said. « Hamas is responsible for all hostile acts from Gaza and we will continue to defend our people and border. »
Conricus said it was the fourth such tunnel IDF has destroyed since November and Israel has been monitoring Hamas’ digging around the tunnel for weeks using new detection technology.
« What Hamas was trying to do was build kind of a detour — a new tunnel that would link up with a new part that they thought would be usable, » he said.
Conricus said the tunnel was filled with a « certain compound » that would render it useless and was destroyed from within Israeli territory without the use of explosives.
Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas’ armed Izzadin Kassam Brigades wing, downplayed the impact of the tunnel’s destruction.
« The tunnel that the enemy is talking about is an old and disused tunnel that was previously targeted after the Qassam Brigades used it… during the battle in 2014, » Obeida said.
IDF also struck an underground military complex in an overnight air raid. No deaths were reported in either operation.
