(Communicated by the IDF Spokesperson)

Earlier this week the IDF exposed the opening of a tunnel built by Gaza terrorists near Israeli civilian communities. The tunnel’s opening is hundreds of meters inside Israel and it varies in depth. The investigation of the tunnel is ongoing.

In 2013, three such tunnels were discovered along the Gaza-Israel security fence.

The last tunnel found by IDF soldiers in Gaza was discovered on October 7, 2013, near Israeli civilian communities. It was approximately 18 meters underground and extended 1.7 kilometers.

“The exposure of this tunnel was based on intelligence, and boots on the ground in the vicinity of the Gaza security fence,” IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, said, ”Our operational assumption is that Hamas and other terror organizations continue to tunnel and prepare points of attack against Israel and its civilians. This advanced tunnel was intended to pose a direct link and threat to Israeli territory, and enable Hamas terrorists to reach and harm Israeli civilians. Tunnels such as this are built to assist terrorists in the execution of terror attacks.  In the past Gaza terrorists have utilized such tunnels to Israel for infiltration, detonation and abduction of Israeli citizens.”