IDF Contradicts Police on Tunnel Discovery Near Qalqilya

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a rare public statement on Thursday, September 24, vehemently refuting earlier police reports of a discovered tunnel near Qalqilya. The military also criticized the official police announcement regarding the incident. According to the IDF, two deep shafts were found during a nighttime operation, but subsequent examination by military engineers ruled out any connection to a tunnel. The IDF specifically denied the police claim that one of the shafts was located near the security barrier separating Israel from the West Bank.

Earlier, police had announced that a joint operation with the Border Police (MAGAV) in Qalqilya uncovered a "tunnel under construction" at least 25 meters deep, containing a significant cache of weapons. An additional tunnel in its early stages of construction was also reported. Four suspects were detained in connection with the findings.

The IDF's statement presented a different account: soldiers, MAGAV forces, and Judea and Samaria District police, under the command of the Ephraim Brigade, were operating based on intelligence about weapons in the area. They discovered two shafts, approximately 12 meters deep, near which an M16 rifle, a hunting rifle, a pistol, and ammunition were found and confiscated. Engineering unit "Yal