Israeli Police Claim Discovery of Deep Tunnel and Weapons in Qalqilya

Israeli police claimed on Wednesday evening to have discovered a tunnel under construction, at least 25 meters deep, along with the beginnings of a second tunnel, during an operation in the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya. The police also announced the arrest of four Palestinians and the seizure of weapons, ammunition, and materials they stated could be used in explosives manufacturing.

The operation, which involved the Israeli police's West Bank anti-crime unit and border police forces, was conducted based on intelligence, according to a police statement. The first tunnel was described as incomplete, reaching a current depth of approximately 25 meters, with a second tunnel found to have been recently started at the same site.

During the search, forces reportedly found an M16 rifle, a sniper rifle, ammunition, magazines, phones, a digital recording device, and fertilizer, which the police identified as a substance usable in making explosives. Notably, the police statement did not mention finding ready-made explosive devices, despite an earlier Arabic phrasing that referred to "weapons and explosive devices." The Hebrew statement focused on weapons, ammunition, and fertilizer, describing the latter as a material for making explosive devices.

Four individuals were arrested at the scene and taken for interrogation, though their identities and specific charges were not released. The police provided no details regarding the tunnel's length, intended destination, or purpose, nor did they specify if any operational infrastructure was found, stating only that excavation was in its early stages.

Israeli police stated they would continue efforts to uncover "excavation infrastructure and combat means" in the West Bank as part of ongoing security operations in Palestinian cities and towns. This announcement comes amid heightened Israeli security focus on the West Bank, with a recent poll indicating 70% of Israelis feel significant concern about the security situation there. The report also follows the killing of a Palestinian man near Ramallah, which Israel described as a car-ramming attack that injured an Israeli soldier. The West Bank has seen intensified Israeli military operations, raids, and arrests since the start of the war in Gaza, alongside increased settler violence and military checkpoints.