Israel destroys “longest and deepest” Hamas cross-border Gaza attack tunnel
Part of the enormous diversion of resources by Hamas that could have been used to help the people of Gaza.
Next time you hear the usual suspects complain about the Israeli military blockade of Gaza, or how Gazans have not been able to rebuild since the 2014 war, keep in mind how many resources the ruling Hamas diverts to missiles, terror, and most of all, attack tunnels.
The Hamas tunneling effort diverts huge amounts of concrete, steel, fuel and electricity that could be used for civilian purposes. I discussed in July 2014 how Hamas’ tunnel effort demonstrates that it has no interest in building a civil society, One People built tunnels, the other a nation:
Just think what could have been.
Israel left Gaza in 2005. The vast international aid that flowed to Gaza could have been used to build the foundation of a nation.
Instead it was put to building tunnels and rocket infrastructure.
Rather than forging economic ties with the world, it forged military ties with Iran and Hezbollah to achieve the goal of the Hamas charter — the destruction of Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel continued to build a nation, becoming one of the high tech capitals of the world.
That could have been Gaza, where the people obviously have tremendous skills and ingenuity. But it was a choice that was not made.
Tunnels have been a major strategic asset of Hamas and other terror groups, and were used with some effect during the 2014 Gaza conflict. Cross-border tunnels are frequently shown to visiting diplomats.
We have covered Israel’s discovery and destruction of several such tunnels in the years after the 2014 war:
- Israel destroys vast Hamas attack tunnel (January 2018)
- Israel’s IDF Obliterates Gaza Attack Tunnel (October 2017)
- Israel blows up newly-discovered Hamas tunnel (April 2016)
It has happened again. The Times of Israel reports, IDF destroys ‘longest and deepest’ Hamas cross-border attack tunnel:
The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday announced it destroyed a sophisticated Hamas attack tunnel, leading from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, over the weekend.
The tunnel was the “longest and deepest” underground passage discovered in Israel thus far, according to Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman.
It passed under the border in an area where Palestinian protesters have recently clashed with security forces, the army said.
A military spokesman said the tunnel was dug by the Hamas terrorist group and was connected to a “kilometers-long” network of other passages under the Gaza Strip.
That the tunnel passed under the area of the recent attempts to storm the border fence is significant. It demonstrates, once again, that the border fence attacks are part of a broader Hamas attempt for cross-border terror. If if had not been discovered, it’s likely that some future “protest” would have been cover for a tunnel kidnapping or attack on Israelis.
The Jerusalem Post notes:
It was the fifth cross-border tunnel to be found and destroyed by the Israeli army in recent months and the first to be found in the northern area of the Hamas-run enclave. Several other underground targets have also been destroyed inside in the Strip.
In February, the army destroyed one tunnel near Gaza’s destroyed airport located east of Rafah in the southern part of the Strip close to the Israeli border and another one in the Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City which was dug toward Israeli territory.
Ynet News reports that the tunnel was filled by the Israelis with concrete.
This map shows the location of tunnels destroyed recently:
The IDF Spokesperson posted the Featured Image and these images on Twitter:
You can see how well constructed the tunnel was, just like prior tunnels. The tunnel ran into Israel, not Egypt, so it clearly was not a smuggling tunnel, but an attack tunnel.
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Comments
OK, but at least put a bunch of snakes and rats in the tunnel before filling it with concrete.
Nah. Fuel-air explosive followed by an igniter…
GMTA!
I can’t tell much about the topography from the IDF photo, but if it’s similar on both sides of the border, the contrast is wonderful.
Cultivated farms on the Israeli side. Nothing much on the other.
remember: the Paleostinians destroyed all the farms, greenhouses, etc, that Israel left behind, because they had Jewish cooties… 😎
the NORKS probably have similar tunnels into SOKO.
the Israelis also need to watch out for tunnels in the North.
possible, although geography plays a part. I understand that the plains around Gaza, where all of these have been built, consists of soft, sandy soil down to quite a depth. If they were having to contend with rock, tunneling would be far more difficult and almost impossible to do undetected. (blasting would be necessary)
Interesting point: in the photos, the tunnels appear to be either poured concrete or pre-cast panels. Either way it’s a lot of work to get the concrete or the panels into position. Wonder if they’re using rebar? And the tunnels, while narrow, are tall enough for men to walk or run through without stooping.
How are the tunnels dug? Are the Gazooks using a boring machine or doing this by hand? Either way they have to be making a significant amount of noise underground, and so you’d think the Israelis know exactly where the tunnels are.
I would think the best plan is to let the terrorists spend max time, money and material on each tunnel until completion and then “discover” the tunnel.
If Hamas, Fatah et al did spend the money on improving Gaza the people might be less inclined to fight. Keeping them poor when they can see plenty across the border makes for hate.
Also, the logic is that if they did defeat Israel…all of those good things would be theirs…(see Zimbabwe and Sud Africa as well as the confiscated native lands of Southwest America and Hawaii).
I certainly hope they waited until Hamas or their operatives were busy inside the tunnel, but I’m afraid some dipshcip rights group prevented them from doing that.
Why not detonate some massive long poles explosion from the Israeli side and express disbelief that anything happened across the border?
I can’t blame the Gazan Muslim Arabs (so-called “Palestinians”) for their actions. They are like little children, after all. Mein Koran instructs them to hate non-Muslims and to attempt to kill or to subjugate them, and, to conquer their lands.
The Arabs are merely following their goose-stepping, allegedly Divine marching orders from al-Führer, Mohammed.
Human nature is unchangeable. The Arabs will only stop trying to destroy Israel when enough have died in the attempt. Israel should have dropped a moab on the thousands trying to break the border down.
I am incessantly impressed with the wisdom and judgment of our dear leaders in Washington, D.C. It is fulfilling to know that American taxpayers have been subsidizing the construction of terror tunnels for the enemies of our ally.
pump it full of propane & oxygen, then add a spark.
blow it up just like a gopher tunnel, and any damage on the other side of the boundary is the fault of the people who built the tunnel under what would otherwise be protected buildings under the Laws of Land Warfare.
any otherwise protected structure becomes a legitimate target when used to conceal or protect a legitimate target.
If they just put a fraction of the resources and effort into productive improvements, can you imagine what they could do? Greenhouses, desalination plants, manufacturing facilities that would provide work, decent homes, roads, the list is endless.
The would rather kill and see their neighbors suffer than prosper themselves.
Given all the pretend anger at Syria for chemical attacks, I won’t suggest that Israel should fill the tunnel with poison gas — when sound sensors report that the tunnel is in use.