Tunnel Dug 25 Meters Deep Near Jerusalem Leads to Two Arrests

An unusual security incident in East Jerusalem began when police from the Judea and Samaria District and Border Police units around Jerusalem were called to the Az-Za'im checkpoint area after the Civil Administration reported a tunnel in the vicinity. Officers said they found a tunnel dug from the Palestinian side toward Israeli territory, reaching a depth of 25 meters.

Search teams also seized digging equipment, gloves, and face masks at the scene. Forensic investigators from the Judea and Samaria District began collecting evidence, and DNA and other forensic findings led them to two suspects, a Palestinian resident of al-Eizariya and a resident of East Jerusalem, both in their 30s.

On Wednesday morning, the two were arrested in an operation involving the Minority Crimes Unit of the Judea and Samaria District's special investigations unit, Border Police forces in Judea and Samaria, and Jerusalem District police. They were taken for questioning.

Investigators are examining whether the tunnel was dug recently and intended for security offenses, including terror activity and the smuggling of illegal residents into Israel. Judea and Samaria District special investigations commander Lt. Cmdr. Moshe, known as Muzi, Cohen, said the exposure of the tunnel and the arrests showed the district's operational and intelligence capabilities in identifying and stopping threats before they were carried out. He said the police believe the infrastructure was meant for terrorism and for bringing illegal residents into the country, and added that police will continue acting firmly against any attempt to harm Israeli civilians.