Terrorists in two separate groups infiltrated into Israel this morning via a tunnel in the north of the Gaza Strip near Kibbutz Nir-Am, Channel 2 News reports. Large IDF forces thwarted their apparent aim of carrying out an attack on Israeli territory. At least fifteen terrorists have been killed. During the incident, roads near the Gaza Strip were closed and residents of many settlements were told to remain in their homes.
Last night, IDF troops killed a terrorist in the Shejaiya district of Gaza as he attempted to blow himself up near Israeli soldiers.
In a briefing yesterday evening at military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid tribute to the thirteen Golani Brigade soldiers killed in action and extended condolences to their families. Referring to the operation to find and destroy tunnels dug by Hamas, the prime minister said, "Hamas invested years of work and vast capital in them in order to perpetrate large-scale terrorist attacks and carry out abductions. We found handcuffs and sedatives. There is no question here. This was a strategic network for Hamas in which it had installed fortifications, electricity, cables, all in order to infiltrate, carry out large-scale attacks and kidnap.
"The threat of the tunnels is not new to us. We have foiled several attempts in the past to perpetrate attacks through them, but the current operation is much broader in scope. This carries considerable risks but it is vital because if these tunnels had not been discovered, the results could have been much worse. Tunnels like those we have exposed recently could have been opened in our communities, inside kindergartens or dining halls and the results could have been deadly."
Netanyahu also hinted that Operation Protective Edge could yet increase in scope. "In every battle and in every campaign, there are complex and difficult events, as there have been in this one; however, the military operation is proceeding as planned and it will be expanded as necessary until quiet returns to Israel's citizens," he said.
Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon said at the briefing that the operation was proceeding as planned, and that within two to three days, most of Hamas's tunnel network would be destroyed. He too added that the operation would be expanded as necessary.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 21, 2014
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