Israel building barrier to block Hamas’ tunnels
KIBBUTZ NIRIM, Israel — Israel is pressing ahead with construction of an underground barrier along the border with the Gaza Strip in an ambitious project meant to halt the threat of attack tunnels built by the Hamas militant group.
Cranes and work crews are digging holes and installing sensors and other equipment for a structure that is expected to stretch along the entire 40-mile border when it is complete.
Gadi Yarkoni, head of the local Eshkol regional council, said the project is a key reason that the area has enjoyed a surge in growth and attracted young families since a devastating war with Hamas three years ago.
“I believe building the barrier is the right thing to do, to build in order to stop and to give an answer to the issue of the tunnels, and to the issue of the communities in the area,” he said. “The surge in development in this area is unbelievable.”
During the 2014 war, Hamas militants on several occasions made their way into Israel through a tunnel network that caught Israel off guard. Although they did not manage to reach civilian areas, the infiltrations terrified the local population. Israel destroyed 32 tunnels during that conflict, and since then has made neutralizing the tunnel threat a top priority.
Israeli defense officials have said little about the new barrier project or how much has been completed. At one construction zone, a sign said “military zone — no passage,” and reporters could not approach as cranes and bulldozers were at work.
Last week, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, head of Israel’s Southern Command, which is responsible for Gaza, told reporters the project would take about two years to complete.
He said the barrier would stretch several yards above and below ground and be equipped with sophisticated sensors. It’s being built entirely on the Israeli side of the border, to avoid friction with Hamas.
Atai Shelach, a retired colonel and former commander of the Israeli military’s “Yahalom” unit in charge of dismantling the militants’ tunnels, said the new barrier would be a game changer but would not solve the problem on its own.
“It is part of a cocktail, or a combination of many other solutions,” he said. Neutralizing the tunnel threat will also require good intelligence and operational decisions by the army, he said. Otherwise, militants will eventually figure out how to get through.