Israel Foils Tunnel Near Jerusalem, Citing Terrorist Infiltration Risk

Israeli security forces have discovered and blocked an underground tunnel near the settlements of Givon and Givat Ze'ev, on the outskirts of Jerusalem. The entrance to the tunnel, located near the Arab village of Al-Jib, was found to be disguised and was only five meters away from the security barrier when discovered on August 28. Experts determined the tunnel was recently dug. During surveillance of the suspected entrance, forces apprehended an individual carrying excavation tools. "This is not just someone trying to get into Israel for work," stated Eliyahu Tubol, commander of the regional Border Police battalion (MAGAV). "Anyone like this could be a terrorist." Tubol noted that similar incidents have occurred previously, including the discovery of a cesspool used for tunneling into Israeli territory about ten months prior. He also mentioned recent attempts detected near the Palestinian villages of Qalandia and Kafr Aqab. In the latter case, discovered on August 28, a dried-up underground water cistern was used as an entry point for digging. "We noticed a young man coming to dig and detained him at the scene," Tubol said, adding that this tunnel was also about five meters from the barrier on the Palestinian side. Tubol indicated that such tunnels are frequently used for terrorist infiltration or weapons smuggling, and are part of a large-scale smuggling operation involving significant sums of money, with Palestinians paying intermediaries for assistance in crossing the border illegally.