Dec. 10 (UPI) — Israel’s army announced Sunday it destroyed an incomplete tunnel from Gaza that stretched into Israeli territory.
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus said the tunnel originated in the city of Khan Younis, was more than half a mile long and stretched “hundreds of meters” into Israeli territory.
“We monitored this tunnel for a long period of time,” he said.
Conricus described the tunnel as “very substantial”, saying it contained communication systems, air vents, electricity and reinforced concrete structure.
He added intelligence indicated the tunnel belonged to Hamas, the militant organization that controls Gaza, but no Israeli military personnel or civilians were considered at risk and there was no exit point at the time it was destroyed.
“We see this as a severe violation of Israeli sovereignty,” Conricus said. “We hold the Hamas terrorist organization responsible twice. Once, because it is responsible for the Gaza Strip, and any act of violence that emanates from the Gaza Strip is under Hamas responsibility. And, second, because this is a Hamas terror tunnel.”
This was the second tunnel destroyed using a new system to detect, expose and destroy tunnels in the past six weeks.
The IDF used explosives to destroy another tunnel from Gaza on Oct. 30, killing at least seven Palestinians.
Explosives were not used to destroy the latest tunnel and no deaths were reported.
