Thwarting Hamas terror, one tunnel at a time
This morning, the IDF completed the destruction of a Hamas terror tunnel that infiltrated Israeli territory.After Latest Anti-Terror Tunnel Operation, Israeli Military Hails ‘New and Groundbreaking Technology’ Used Against Subterranean Threat
This operation, led by the Southern Command, was carried out in the area of crossing to the Israeli side. The tunnel crossed the border under the Kerem Shalom Crossing, ran adjacent to the gas pipeline, and crossed into Egypt.
This is a severe breach of Israel's sovereignty, a serious threat to Israeli civilians, and a threat to the humanitarian efforts that Israel allows for the people in the Gaza Strip.
The Kerem Shalom Crossing was closed in order to maintain the safety of all those in the area of the crossing. Hamas is responsible for the consequences of the closing and chooses time after time to jeopardize the welfare of the citizens of the Gaza Strip.
The tunnel was located using the latest technological, intelligence, and operational capabilities. Since its discovery, the tunnel was monitored up until its destruction.
IDF Destroys the 3rd Hamas Terror Tunnel in 2 Months
“The extraordinary cooperation among the branches of combat engineering, intelligence, and the technological lab for tunnel detection in the Gaza Division is what creates these technological breakthroughs and significant achievements in underground detection,” said Commander of the Southern Brigade in the Gaza Division, Col. Kobi Heler.
This is the third tunnel that was destroyed in Israel in the past two months and serves as further evidence of the advanced operational, intelligence, and technological capabilities that the IDF has developed. Locating these tunnels is part of wide-scale defense efforts led by the IDF and the Southern Command.
Breaking News from the Kerem Shalom Crossing
“We are not seeking to escalate the situation, we are defending our sovereignty and our civilians against the multiple threat by Hamas. We will continue to operate in that manner. We will continue to defend our sovereignty against threats from above and below the ground. We also remain prepared for a wide variety of military scienerios against Hamas, but we do not seek to escalate the situation,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, Head of the International Media Branch.
The IDF will continue its efforts above and below ground to thwart any attempts to harm Israeli civilians and will continue to act in order to maintain the relative quiet in the region achieved after Operation Protective Edge.
The Israeli military has destroyed three cross-border Hamas terror tunnels in recent months using “new and groundbreaking technology,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus — the head of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit’s international media branch — said in a video published on social media on Sunday.For 38 Terrifying Minutes, Hawaii Experienced Israeli Life under Rocket Threat
“We are happy to be able to have those capabilities,” Conricus said.
In another video posted online by the IDF following its latest anti-tunnel operation, this one in the Kerem Shalom area, Col. Kobi Heler — the commander of the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade — said, “Hamas is accountable for all terror activities emanating from the Gaza Strip and is responsible to stop any acts above and below the ground that breach Israeli sovereignty.”
At a meeting in New Delhi on Sunday with Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “But even where I am here in India, I think of you, IDF soldiers, and of the splendid work that you did yesterday in eliminating another tunnel. We are systematically eliminating the tunnel infrastructure of Hamas and Islamic Jihad; they should not try us.”
For thirty-eight terrifying minutes on Saturday, Hawaii residents unfortunately experienced a sampling of life in Israel during recent wars here when Hawaiians received a mistaken emergency alert notification warning of a “ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii.”
Gov. David Ige said the false alarm was a human error caused when the wrong button was pushed during a shift change at the state emergency management agency. The warning was issued amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, and some in Hawaii may have feared an incoming nuclear attack. The mistake was reportedly corrected 38 minutes later by a second message confirming the false alarm.
The error is unacceptable and warrants the “full investigation” promised by the chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
While Israelis have not contended with nuclear missile attacks, the entire country lives under rocket threat and has experienced sustained rocket attacks punctuated by alerts that leave only seconds to find shelter.
The scenes that unfolded in Hawaii, with people reportedly left “crying and screaming,” could have taken place in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa or Sderot. At this point, however, most Israelis, especially those living along the Gaza wire, have become so accustomed to rocket alerts that there seems to be a lot less panic.
The rocket risk here underscores the strategic threat posed to the Jewish state by territorial withdrawals, and the projectile threat must be taken into consideration when foreign diplomats call for Israel to create a Palestinian state in the West Bank and eastern sections of Jerusalem.