Cleared for publication: Last month, in a joint Shin Bet (ISA), IDF and Israel Police operation, a 17-year-old resident of Gaza, who is active in the Hamas military wing, was arrested after crossing the perimeter fence from Gaza into Israel.

During his investigation it was discovered that he belongs to the Hamas Beit Lahiya Brigade and that most of his activity was in the field of tunnels. Details were also learned about the Hamas terrorist operations in which he took part including his recruitment into Hamas and the training courses he took as well as details about many other militants with whom he worked in the Hamas military wing.

His investigation revealed high value information about Hamas’s operations in northern Gaza, especially its attack tunnels.

Information was also obtained on Hamas work methods vis-à-vis the digging of tunnels, means of communication in the tunnels and the location of many tunnel shafts designed to serve members of elite Hamas units in infiltrating Israeli territory during clashes with Israel.

It was learned that Hamas is active in digging tunnels that are linked to combat tunnels throughout Gaza. Hamas has dug a ramified network for moving fighters around the Strip exclusively underground. This network of tunnels includes rest quarters for use by elite unites in time of emergency.

These tunnels have many entry points. Some of them have been dug close to civilian structures such as innocent homes, schools and mosques, clearly endangering the civilian population in Gaza.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)