Current:Home > ScamsIsrael finds large tunnel adjacent to Gaza border, raising new questions about prewar intelligence-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Israel finds large tunnel adjacent to Gaza border, raising new questions about prewar intelligence
View Date:2024-12-23 15:14:39
BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli military said Sunday it has discovered a large tunnel shaft in Gaza close to what was once a busy crossing into Israel, raising new questions about how Israeli surveillance missed such conspicuous preparations by Hamas for the militants’ deadly Oct. 7 assault.
The entryway to the tunnel is just a few hundred meters (yards) from the heavily fortified Erez crossing and a nearby Israeli military base.
The military said it stretches for over 4 kilometers (2.5 miles), links up with a sprawling tunnel network across Gaza and is wide enough for cars to pass through. The army said Sunday that the tunnel facilitated the transit of vehicles, militants, and supplies in preparation for the Oct. 7 attack.
That day, militants used a rocket-propelled grenade to break past the portion of wall close to the Erez crossing and stormed the base, killing at least three soldiers and kidnapping some back to Gaza, the army said. It was one of several places along the border wall where militants easily blew past Israel’s security defenses, entered Israeli territory and killed some 1,200 people and took about 240 others hostage.
The unprecedented attack triggered a devastating war that has raged for over 10 weeks and claimed over 18,000 lives in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel says destruction of Hamas’ tunnel network is a major objective and that much of the underground network runs beneath schools, hospitals and residential areas.
Israel’s military, intelligence and political officials have come under heavy criticism for failing to detect the attack ahead of time.
Maj. Nir Dinar, a military spokesperson, said that Israeli security services did not know about the tunnel before Oct. 7 because Israel’s border defenses only detected tunnels meant to enter Israel.
“As far as I know, this tunnel doesn’t cross from Gaza into Israel and stops within 400 meters from the border, which means the indicators won’t indicate that a tunnel is being built,” Dinar said. He added that the entrance, a circular cement opening leading to a cavernous passageway, was located under a garage, hiding it from Israeli drones and satellite images.
While the military was aware that Hamas had an extensive tunnel network, Dinar said they did not think the militants would be able to carry out their plans for a large-scale attack.
“It’s no surprise that this was the Hamas strategy all along,” Dinar said. “The surprise is that they have succeeded and the size of this tunnel … was really shocking.”
The Erez crossing, a fortress-like facility that processed the movement of Palestinians into Israel for work, medical care and transit to neighboring Jordan, held great symbolic value for Hamas. The massive crossing was protected by security cameras and military patrols and the adjacent military base. The crossing suffered heavy damage on Oct. 7 and has not reopened.
The army said its special “Yahalom” unit, which specializes in tunnel warfare, has worked to excavate the tunnel since it was first detected. They say they’ve found weapons inside.
“At this point, this is the biggest tunnel in Gaza,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, told reporters in a tour of the tunnel’s entrance on Friday.
It is unclear if the tunnel was used on Oct. 7.
The army also showed reporters soldiers’ barracks at the nearby base that it said were set ablaze by the militants. They looked like the ashes of a furnace, with blackened walls and smelted bunks. The military announced Friday that it had recovered in Gaza the bodies of two soldiers who were working at the base on Oct. 7.
Dinar, who visited the tunnel Friday, said it was twice the height and three times the width of other tunnels found in Gaza. He said it is equipped with ventilation and electricity and dives 50 meters (55 yards) underground in some points. He said it was clear that millions of dollars as well as a great deal of fuel and workforce had been needed to build and sustain the tunnel.
Hagari said the military planned to destroy the tunnel and continue to “hunt” militants hiding in others.
“We will hunt them even if we need to go down to the tunnels,” Hagari said. “We also need to do it with attention to the rescue of our hostages and the understanding that maybe some of them are in the tunnels.”
veryGood! (4952)
Related
- Will Aaron Rodgers retire? Jets QB tells reporters he plans to play in 2025
- Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is live to stream on Disney+ with bonus 'Acoustic Collection'
- AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Ohio’s presidential and state primaries
- Barbiecore? Cottagecore? What does 'core' mean in slang and why can't we stop using it
- The USDA is testing raw milk for the avian flu. Is raw milk safe?
- Trump-backed Senate candidate faces GOP worries that he could be linked to adult website profile
- Massive crowd greets Shohei Ohtani, his wife and Dodgers upon arrival in South Korea
- Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is live to stream on Disney+ with bonus 'Acoustic Collection'
- New Pentagon report on UFOs includes hundreds of new incidents but no evidence of aliens
- SpaceX's Starship lost, but successful in third test: Here's what happened in past launches
Ranking
- Anti-abortion advocates press Trump for more restrictions as abortion pill sales spike
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, One Alarm (Freestyle)
- Millions blocked from porn sites as free speech, child safety debate rages across US
- Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is live to stream on Disney+ with bonus 'Acoustic Collection'
- Federal judge orders Oakland airport to stop using ‘San Francisco’ in name amid lawsuit
- New York City St. Patrick's Day parade 2024: Date, time, route, how to watch live
- Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond Denies Using Ozempic Amid Weight Loss Transformation
- Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett mourning death of his younger brother, Nathan Barrett
Recommendation
-
Kristin Cavallari's Ex Mark Estes Jokingly Proposed to This Love Island USA Star
-
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem faces lawsuit after viral endorsement of Texas dentists
-
These Republicans won states that Trump lost in 2020. Their endorsements are lukewarm (or withheld)
-
Stock market today: Asian markets retreat after data dash hopes that a US rate cut is imminent
-
Wildfires burn from coast-to-coast; red flag warnings issued for Northeast
-
'Absolutely wackadoodle': Mom wins $1.4 million after using kids' birthdates as lottery numbers
-
Dog-killing flatworm parasite discovered in new state as scientists warn of spread West
-
Colorado snowstorm closes highways and schools for a second day