On Monday evening the IDF announced that it has located yet another terror tunnel that had been constructed by Hamas going underneath the border between Gaza and Israel. This tunnel is located in the southern Gaza Strip and was exposed during the construction of the underground barrier that the Ministry of Defense is building along the entire border, some 70 kilometers.

Soldiers from the underground combat brigade are currently investigating the route of the tunnel.

A spokesperson from the Eshkol Regional Council said: “The tunnel was located because of the groundbreaking technological defenses that are being used along the Gaza border to protect our communities. The tunnel is not a current threat and is being handled by the IDF. We thank the soldiers and officers of the IDF who are determined and courageous in defending our communities.”

The underground barrier has been developed and built following the insistence of  the political echelon and the Defense Ministry after the bitter experiences of Operation Protective Edge. The Defense Ministry has been rushing this project in order to provide safety to the residents of the south and eliminate the threat of attacks from underground tunnels. As part of the barrier, concrete is being poured into the belly of the earth and going down dozens of meters. At the bottom of the concrete barrier, technology is being implanted which detects any drilling occurring in the area.

So far, more that 30 kilometers of concrete walls have been buried in the earth from the 70 kilometer of the fence. A massive wall made up of slabs of concrete barriers is being added above ground along the same path as the subterranean barrier. The entire project is scheduled to be finished in early 2020.

Meanwhile, the IDF on Monday shot down a drone that crossed into its territory from the Gaza Strip.

The military said it recovered the downed drone and took it in for examination.

Gaza’s Hamas rulers have developed a drone program with Iranian assistance. The drones are typically used for reconnaissance along the Israeli-Gaza frontier and it’s unclear if they can carry out attacks.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem / AP)