Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — The Israeli military has determined that Hamas and its Palestinian militias were constructing an attack tunnel network.

Military sources said the Army’s Southern Command has relayed evidence of a Hamas tunnel network from the Gaza Strip into Israel.

They said the tunnel network was meant to infiltrate the Jewish state and attack civilian communities in any future war.

“Hamas has been investing heavily into attack capabilities that target Israel’s vulnerabilities,” a source said.

The sources cited the Israeli detection of a Hamas tunnel that penetrated 300 meters into Israel from the Gaza Strip.

They said Southern Command, responsible for the Gaza border, has assessed that the underground passage, complete with telephone and radio links, was one of at least a dozen tunnels built to infiltrate Israel.

“Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been trained by Hizbullah to use tunnels
as a major asset in any war,” the source said. “Their assessment is that
Israel would maintain a major troop presence to protect against such tunnel
attacks.”

On Nov. 5, the United Nations announced the suspension of 19 of 20
construction projects in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations Relief and
Works Agency blamed Israel for blocking the import of construction material
since Oct. 13.

“We are in now in the fourth week [in which] we are not allowed to bring
in construction material,” UNRWA director in the Gaza Strip Robert Turner
said. “We do not know when we will be allowed to restart these projects.”

  Gaza Strip, Islamic Jihad, Israeli military believes Hamas built up to a dozen infiltration tunnels from Gaza, Southern Command, United Nations Relief and Works Agency