Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — Israel has discovered what officials termed the most advanced Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip.

The military said the tunnel began near the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis and reached an Israeli kibbutz.

The tunnel, reported on March 20, was said to be the longest and deepest discovered by the Israel Army.

“The exposure of this tunnel was based on intelligence, and boots on the ground,” Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said on March 21.

“It was discovered by the Gaza Division, which acted on intelligence that led to physical ground activities,” a military source said.

The source said the 2.5 kilometer tunnel, believed to have been constructed over the last six months, penetrated several hundred meters into Israel. They said parts of the tunnel, lined with cement and containing tools, reached a depth of 20 meters.

“We have no doubt we disturbed them in the middle of work,” the source said.

The military, in what was termed a major blow to the Gaza regime, uncovered at least three Hamas tunnels meant to penetrate Israel over the last six months. One of the tunnels was said to have penetrated 300 meters into the Jewish state and officials acknowledged that it was built with cement supplied by Israel.

Hamas acknowledged the latest tunnel. Hamas sources said the tunnel was
exposed in January 2014 in wake of flooding throughout the Gaza Strip and
had been undergoing repair.

“The tunnel the occupation claimed to have uncovered is old, and was
exposed and damaged by stormy weather two months ago,” Hamas’ military wing
said.

The source said the target of the tunnel was believed to be Kibbutz Ein Shelosha. Hamas was said to have planned to attack the kibbutz kindergarten.

  Gaza Strip, Israel: 2.5 km Hamas tunnel reached from Gaza to kibbutz, Khan Yunis, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner