Israel says it destroys Hamas tunnel under key Gaza crossing

The Israeli military said Sunday it destroyed an attack tunnel built by the Hamas militant group that stretched from the Gaza Strip, through Israel and into Egypt, and that ran past Israeli military posts as well as gas and fuel pipelines.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the 1.5-kilometre long tunnel ran underneath the Kerem Shalom border crossing, Gaza’s main point of entry for humanitarian aid.

He said Israeli jets struck part of the tunnel and a new set of sophisticated “tools” destroyed the rest. Conricus said forces had been monitoring its construction for some time and an imminent attack on Israelis was possible. The crossing has been closed until further notice.

Israel has made neutralizing the tunnel threat a top priority since its 2014 war, when Hamas militants on several occasions made their way into Israel. Although they did not manage to reach civilian areas, the infiltrations caught Israel off guard, killing five soldiers in one attack, and terrified the local population.

Sunday’s operation marked the third such tunnel Israel has destroyed over the past two months. But Conricus said this did not mark “more of the same” since it involved the most advanced technological means Israel has deployed. Hamas initially said a typical smuggling tunnel was destroyed, but had no immediate response to the Israeli announcement. There were no casualties in the Israeli airstrike.