BICOM

Israel’s Defence Ministry has issued a tender for constructing the first section of a huge underground barrier designed to combat the threat of Hamas-built attack tunnels in the Gaza Strip, according to news reports.

YNet revealed that a closed tender was issued to twenty Israeli companies to construct a ten-kilometre stretch, which will eventually be extended to the entire length of the Gaza border. The concrete barrier will reportedly extend several stories underground. It will also include a section above ground, which will contain sensors to help detect tunnel building.

The report names several Israeli companies which have received the tender, but says that whoever is awarded the contract will be required to work alongside foreign contractors too. The work is scheduled to begin in October with the initial phase of construction set to cost several million pounds.

However, there was no official confirmation that the tender process is underway, with a Defence Ministry spokesperson telling Agence France-Presse (AFP) “the Ministry of Defence is not commenting on the report”.

The subterranean network of tunnels in Gaza was a major feature of Hamas attacks on Israel during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. They were used to launch assaults on Israeli targets beyond the Gaza border as well as providing protection for Hamas’s leadership. Although Israel subsequently destroyed most of the tunnels, Hamas and other terror groups are openly rebuilding this underground capability in preparation for future attacks. In April, Israeli forces uncovered two major tunnels which stretched into Israeli territory.

Ever since the Gaza conflict two years ago, Israel has been searching for a solution to the tunnel threat. The government’s handling of the tunnels both before and during Operation Protective Edge has come into sharp focus in recent weeks, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that there was no lack of preparation. However, other cabinet members at the time have challenged his version of events. A State Comptroller report into the government’s conduct at the time is set for publication soon.