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At least seven Hamas activists killed digging Gaza tunnel
A tunnel being dug in the Gaza Strip by Hamas activists, most likely in preparation for a future attack on Israel, collapsed and reportedly killed at least seven people.
Palestinian media said yesterday that Hamas’s military wing had lost contact with a unit after the tunnel they were building collapsed due to the current inclement weather. Apparently, three people escaped but eight people are still missing. Avi Issacharoff says in the Times of Israel that Palestinian sources confirmed that seven bodies have so far been recovered from the site. AFP quotes an unnamed source, which says that “There were 11 resistance [Hamas] men inside. Three of them escaped … but the security operation … continues to search for the eight others.”
The tunnel collapse will strengthen fears that Hamas is rebuilding the sophisticated network of tunnels which was a major feature of Operation Protective Edge in summer 2014. Not only did the tunnels enable Hamas leaders and operatives to evade capture, but they were a launching pad for deadly attacks on Israelis. 11 Israeli soldiers died during the conflict in Israeli territory, having been ambushed by gunmen emerging from the tunnels, which also threatened civilians in Israel’s Gaza border communities. Israel destroyed at least 30 tunnels during the operation, but some assessments say that Hamas has rebuilt them to a similar level.
There have also been numerous incidents in which Hamas has attempted to smuggle materials into Gaza through Israeli crossings, in order to replenish its infrastructure for future terror attacks. The crossings allow hundreds of trucks of aid and basic materials to enter the Gaza Strip daily. Israel’s Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, who is responsible for such arrangements warned this week that Hamas is also exploiting Israeli visas, handed to Gazans for medical treatment or business in Israel, recruiting recipients to gather information or smuggle goods. He said, “It appears as if Hamas is preparing itself for a military clash, and is not interested in serving the public in Gaza.”