IDF Rules Out Tunnel After Excavation Tools Found in Cave Near Rosh HaAyin

Israeli security forces are investigating a cave discovered near the community of Horashim, approximately five kilometers from Rosh HaAyin in central Israel, after excavation tools were found inside. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on Sunday that initial examinations indicate the site is a cave dug without an exit and does not constitute a tunnel, ruling out that possibility. The cave was found by a civilian on Saturday in an area managed by the Ephraim Brigade, near the Judean and Samarian foothills between Jaljulia and Kafr Qasim. Security forces and engineering experts arrived at the scene to examine the findings and conduct searches. The IDF confirmed that no weapons were found in or around the cave, and searches are ongoing. Despite the IDF's assessment that it is not a tunnel, the presence of digging tools raises questions about the purpose of the underground space and whether it was intended to be expanded into a larger subterranean route. This discovery follows a similar incident weeks ago in Tulkarm, where a deep shaft was found. Initially reported as a tunnel by police, the IDF later clarified it was only a shaft.