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| Israel targets 'terror tunnels' in Gaza ground invasion | Israel targets 'terror tunnels' in Gaza ground invasion |
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| Israel's goal in launching a ground invasion into Gaza is to secure a swath of land inside the territory's perimeter fence to prevent access to tunnels that could be used for attacks on Israel and to impede the launch of short-range rockets. | |
| Five tunnels had been located by Israeli troops by lunchtime on Friday and were under investigation, the Israel Defence Forces said. | |
| In an operation that could last at least a week, Israel wants to expand significantly the existing buffer zone. The no-go area currently runs 500 metres (1,600ft) into Palestinian territory along most of the Israel border, but Israel could extend it to as far as 3km (1.86 miles) – a huge proportion of such a tiny strip of land. Most of the area is currently agricultural land, but this expansion would take the buffer zone into urban areas of Gaza. | |
| The military's primary aim is to locate and destroy tunnels dug by Hamas and other militant groups from Gaza into Israel. It says the tunnel network is "highly developed and continuously preserved". The number of tunnels is unknown, but Major General Gadi Shamni, a former commander of the IDF's Gaza division, said the Israeli military assumed there were dozens. He said the existence of tunnels penetrating Israel was a "major threat that we have to address". | The military's primary aim is to locate and destroy tunnels dug by Hamas and other militant groups from Gaza into Israel. It says the tunnel network is "highly developed and continuously preserved". The number of tunnels is unknown, but Major General Gadi Shamni, a former commander of the IDF's Gaza division, said the Israeli military assumed there were dozens. He said the existence of tunnels penetrating Israel was a "major threat that we have to address". |
| On Thursday, Israeli troops foiled an attempted attack by militants from Gaza who emerged from a tunnel close to Kibbutz Sufa, near the border. Thirteen fighters armed with RPGs and other weapons were seen by an IDF spotter who called in an air strike. Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, an army spokesman, said the interception had "foiled a terror attack that could have had devastating and deadly consequences". | On Thursday, Israeli troops foiled an attempted attack by militants from Gaza who emerged from a tunnel close to Kibbutz Sufa, near the border. Thirteen fighters armed with RPGs and other weapons were seen by an IDF spotter who called in an air strike. Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, an army spokesman, said the interception had "foiled a terror attack that could have had devastating and deadly consequences". |
| In 2013, the IDF uncovered a tunnel from Gaza to Israel that was 18 metres (59 feet) underground and extended for 1.7km (one mile). The tunnel was built with 500 tons of concrete and cement. | |
| The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said the ground invasion was necessary to destroy tunnels. "It is not possible to deal with tunnels only from the air. It needs to be done also from the ground," he said before a special cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv on Friday. | The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said the ground invasion was necessary to destroy tunnels. "It is not possible to deal with tunnels only from the air. It needs to be done also from the ground," he said before a special cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv on Friday. |
| Hamas and other Palestinian organisations – both militant groups and business entrepreneurs – have developed expertise in digging hundreds of tunnels over the past seven years of blockade on Gaza. The vast majority of tunnels have been dug from Rafah, at the southern end of Gaza, to Egypt, and have been used to smuggle goods, fuel, construction material and people. Militant groups dug tunnels to smuggle weapons. Since the military coup in Egypt a year ago, almost all the tunnels from Rafah have been destroyed. | Hamas and other Palestinian organisations – both militant groups and business entrepreneurs – have developed expertise in digging hundreds of tunnels over the past seven years of blockade on Gaza. The vast majority of tunnels have been dug from Rafah, at the southern end of Gaza, to Egypt, and have been used to smuggle goods, fuel, construction material and people. Militant groups dug tunnels to smuggle weapons. Since the military coup in Egypt a year ago, almost all the tunnels from Rafah have been destroyed. |
| There are far fewer tunnels dug for military attacks on Israel – although the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was captured after militants emerged from a tunnel on the other side of the border. Shalit was dragged back to Gaza through the tunnel, and was held for five years before his release in 2011 in a prisoner swap. | There are far fewer tunnels dug for military attacks on Israel – although the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was captured after militants emerged from a tunnel on the other side of the border. Shalit was dragged back to Gaza through the tunnel, and was held for five years before his release in 2011 in a prisoner swap. |
| The current Israeli operation to destroy these "terror tunnels" is complex and risky. It involves troops searching on open ground while being given cover from their air and from tanks. According to Shamdi, many of the tunnels have offshoots in different directions, "so it's very hard to track the exact route". Even if a tunnel shaft is destroyed, it would be relatively easy for militants to dig another entrance to an offshoot. "This is a great operational challenge," Shamdi said. "The chances at the end of this operation that we locate 100% of the tunnels is not high." | The current Israeli operation to destroy these "terror tunnels" is complex and risky. It involves troops searching on open ground while being given cover from their air and from tanks. According to Shamdi, many of the tunnels have offshoots in different directions, "so it's very hard to track the exact route". Even if a tunnel shaft is destroyed, it would be relatively easy for militants to dig another entrance to an offshoot. "This is a great operational challenge," Shamdi said. "The chances at the end of this operation that we locate 100% of the tunnels is not high." |
| Hamas said on Friday that the IDF would pay a high price for its ground invasion. "Gaza will be the graveyard of the occupation soldiers, and these are not slogans," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhr told Lebanese television. Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza are likely to attempt to draw Israeli troops into fighting on the ground in urban areas. The IDF, which saw its first military casualty overnight, would be exposed to a much higher risk of death and injury. | Hamas said on Friday that the IDF would pay a high price for its ground invasion. "Gaza will be the graveyard of the occupation soldiers, and these are not slogans," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhr told Lebanese television. Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza are likely to attempt to draw Israeli troops into fighting on the ground in urban areas. The IDF, which saw its first military casualty overnight, would be exposed to a much higher risk of death and injury. |
| Israel also risks getting sucked into an undesirable re-occupation of Gaza, nine years after withdrawing troops and settlers from the territory. Indications are that Netanyahu and his close colleagues are anxious to restrict the ground operation to the goal of clearing and securing land close to the border rather retaking control of the entire Gaza Strip. | Israel also risks getting sucked into an undesirable re-occupation of Gaza, nine years after withdrawing troops and settlers from the territory. Indications are that Netanyahu and his close colleagues are anxious to restrict the ground operation to the goal of clearing and securing land close to the border rather retaking control of the entire Gaza Strip. |