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Israel Defense Forces destroy Hamas tunnel near Gaza Strip

By Daniel Uria
Israel Defense Forces destroyed a Hamas tunnel and struck an underground military complex near the Gaza Strip Sunday. Photo courtesy Jonathan Conricus/Twitter
Israel Defense Forces destroyed a Hamas tunnel and struck an underground military complex near the Gaza Strip Sunday. Photo courtesy Jonathan Conricus/Twitter

March 18 (UPI) -- Israel's military destroyed a "disused" Hamas tunnel near the Gaza Strip on Sunday, officials said,

The Israel Defense Forces used "precise intel and new tech" to destroy the tunnel that could be used to carry out attacks, IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus said.

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"IDF thwarted attempt by Hamas to renew old terror tunnel near Kerem Shalom," Conricus said. "Hamas is responsible for all hostile acts from Gaza and we will continue to defend our people and border."

Conricus said it was the fourth such tunnel IDF has destroyed since November and Israel has been monitoring Hamas' digging around the tunnel for weeks using new detection technology.

"What Hamas was trying to do was build kind of a detour -- a new tunnel that would link up with a new part that they thought would be usable," he said.

Conricus said the tunnel was filled with a "certain compound" that would render it useless and was destroyed from within Israeli territory without the use of explosives.

Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas' armed Izzadin Kassam Brigades wing, downplayed the impact of the tunnel's destruction.

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"The tunnel that the enemy is talking about is an old and disused tunnel that was previously targeted after the Qassam Brigades used it... during the battle in 2014," Obeida said.

IDF also struck an underground military complex in an overnight air raid. No deaths were reported in either operation.

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