عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Israel Uncovers Tunnel from Gaza, Military Says Holds Hamas Responsible

An Israeli soldier stands on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, near the opening of a tunnel leading from Gaza into Israel, near the southern Israeli kibbutz of Kissufim, Israel, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP)
An Israeli soldier stands on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, near the opening of a tunnel leading from Gaza into Israel, near the southern Israeli kibbutz of Kissufim, Israel, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP)
TT
TT

Israel Uncovers Tunnel from Gaza, Military Says Holds Hamas Responsible

An Israeli soldier stands on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, near the opening of a tunnel leading from Gaza into Israel, near the southern Israeli kibbutz of Kissufim, Israel, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP)
An Israeli soldier stands on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, near the opening of a tunnel leading from Gaza into Israel, near the southern Israeli kibbutz of Kissufim, Israel, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP)

Israel discovered a new cross-border tunnel from the Gaza Strip on Tuesday that its military said extended "dozens of meters underground" and into Israeli territory.

The military said its engineers discovered the tunnel using underground sensors attached to a concrete barrier that, once completed, will run 65 kilometers (40 miles) around Gaza.

Palestinians have used underground tunnels to smuggle in all manner of commercial goods to Gaza, as well as to bring in weapons for militants from the Strip's ruling Hamas group and other factions.

Militants have also used the tunnels to launch attacks inside Israel, which maintains a land and sea blockade of Gaza, citing threats from Hamas.

The new tunnel originates in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, extending across the Israeli border before terminating underground before reaching the barrier, military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said.

He added: "We have not seen an exit point from the tunnel. So, you could deduce from that that the aim was not for the terrorists to emerge from that location, but rather further inside Israel."

Conricus said the military had not yet determined who had built the tunnel, but that it holds "Hamas responsible for everything emanating from the Gaza Strip".

A Hamas spokesman declined comment.

Israel and Hamas last fought a large-scale war in 2014 and have engaged in dozens of smaller cross-border skirmishes since. Hamas and other Gaza fighters have defended the tunnels as part of what they call their preparation for fighting.

Conricus said the military would "neutralize" the tunnel in the coming days. The military has discovered around 20 tunnels since the 2014 war, he added.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Hemedti Issues Strict Orders to his Forces to Protect Sudanese People

People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
TT
TT

Hemedti Issues Strict Orders to his Forces to Protect Sudanese People

People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, also known as Hemedti, issued on Saturday strict orders to his forces to protect civilians and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid in line with the commitments his delegation made at the recent peace talks in Geneva.

In a post on the X platform, he said he issued an “extraordinary administrative order to all the forces” to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

He called on all commanders to abide by the orders in line with international humanitarian law. Any violators will be held accountable.

The RSF has been accused of widespread violations against civilians in areas under their control. They have also been accused of committing massacres in Gezira state in central Sudan. The RSF have denied the accusations.

Hemedti announced in August the formation of a “civilian protection force” that immediately assumed its duties in the Khartoum and Gezira states.

According to head of the RSF delegation to the Geneva talks, Omar Hamdan, the force is formed of 27 combat vehicles, backed by forces that have experience in cracking down on insubordination.

Hemedti stressed last week his commitment to all the outcomes of the Geneva talks, starting with ensuring the delivery of aid to those in need.

The RSF and army agreed to open two safe routes for the deliveries and to protect civilians to ease their suffering after nearly a year and a half of war.

The mediators in Geneva received commitments from the RSF that it would order the fighters against committing any violations against civilians in areas under their control.

Meanwhile, aid deliveries continued through the Adre border crossing with Chad. They are headed to people in Darfur in western Sudan.

Fifty-nine aid trucks carrying aid supplies crossed from Chad to Darfur, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Saturday.

“The supplies are estimated to reach nearly 195,000 people in acute need in different parts of the country,” it added.

“About 128 aid trucks carrying supplies for an estimated 355,000 people are being prepared to cross into Sudan in the coming days and weeks to ensure a steady flow of supplies. Despite the surge of supplies through Adre, humanitarian partners have warned that ongoing rains and floods have damaged three major bridges in the region, limiting movements within Darfur,” it revealed.

“While progress has been made on the Adre border crossing, funding resources are depleting, and humanitarian funding is urgently required to sustain the supplies chain,” it urged.