PM in India: 'Israel systematically destroying tunnels, do not try us'
PM Netanyahu comments on Hamas terror tunnel destruction in meeting with Indian Minister of External Affairs Swaraj, says, 'Even here my thoughts are with you, IDF soldiers, and on wonderful work you've done.'; 'We are systematically demolishing Hamas tunnel infrastructures, they would do well not to try us,' PM warns; COGAT Mordechai: 'Jewish genius has found solution to tunnel threat.'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented Sunday evening on the IDF's detonation of the terror tunnel running underneath Kerem Shalom the previous day, and said, "even here in India my thoughts are with you, the IDF soldiers, and on the wonderful work you've done (Saturday) in taking out another tunnel."
"We are systematically demolishing Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's tunnel infrastructures, and they would do well not to try us," the prime minister warned before his meeting with Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, part of his state visit to the subcontinent.
Turning to the minister, Netanyahu said, "It's a true honor and a true delight to be here. There's a lot of enthusiasm, not only in our meetings at the level of governments and leaders, but also in the people.
Switching to Hebrew, the prime minister explained, "We are here in India on a historic visit. It is important for the State of Israel that one of the world's major powers wants to develop close relations in many areas—economics, trade, security and agriculture."
Minister Swaraj turned to the Israeli visitor and said, "Very warm welcome to India. The feeling is mutual. We were eagerly looking forward to your visit and after the visit of Prime Minister Modi, all of us were very excited to receive you in India. And today, that dream has come true."
Minister Swaraj emphasized the warm and special friendship between the two countries and said that they want to deepen cooperation in all areas. She pointed out the fact that the reciprocal visits in the past year reflect the friendship between the countries.
'Just as there's an Iron Dome, there's an Iron Dome underground'
Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Maj.-Gen. Yoav Mordechai also commented on the tunnel's destruction in an interview to the Arab television channel Alhurra.
"Israeli genius and the Jewish mind have found a solution to all terror tunnels," Mordechai declared. "Just as there's an aerial Iron Dome, there's an Iron Dome underground."
"I wish to send a message to anyone digging or going near the tunnels: as you've seen in the past two months, there is nothing but death in those tunnels," COGAT said, adding, "I'm also surprised because these are days of reconciliation, whereas the tunnel was excavated into Israel and then into Egypt. What message does that send to important Egypt, that Hamas is digging tunnels into its territory? Egypt, which was responsible for and supported (Palestinian) reconciliation."
According to Mordechai, Israeli "has information on additional tunnels and we will soon learn of their discovery."
Commander of the Gaza Division's Southern Brigade Col. Kobi Heller said that, "The IDF has recently undertaken a widespread offensive against tunnels excavated by the various Gaza Strip terror organizations breaching into Israeli territory.
"Extraordinary collaboration between engineering and intelligence people, working hand in hand with people from the technological tunnel discovery lab in Gaza Division has reached a breakthrough in the technological aspect of tunnel discovery and significant achievements in subterranean exposure."
"The tunnel runs directly beneath the only route for goods passing from Israel into Gaza and parallel to gas and diesel pipelines, which may have served as the tunnel's targets," Col. Heller said.
"The tunnel's proximity to the crossing endangered its continued operations as the Gaza Strip's main lifeline," he added.
"The Hamas terror organization is the sovereign in Gaza and will be held responsible for any terrorist activities compromising Israeli sovereignty, including underground," Heller said. "The air force targeted the tunnel on the Palestinian side east of Rafah, hundreds of meters from Israeli land. In so doing, we've concluded destroying the tunnel and it no longer poses a threat to the people of Gaza."
The tunnel reached all the way to the Egyptian side of the border and was dug from Rafah at a length of approximately 1.5 kilometers. Israeli planes bombed the tunnel opening at around 11pm Saturday night on the Gazan side in Rafah, some 900 meters from the enclave’s border with Israel.
The tunnel penetrated 180 meters into Israel territory, passing underneath Kerem Shalom, the only commercial crossing between Gaza and Israel which serves as the conduit for gas and diesel pipelines and antennas. Israel shut down the crossing before the IAF attack until further notice.
The incident marks the fourth time the IDF has uncovered and destroyed Hamas tunnels in the last three months, but a different method was adopted to neutralize the latest tunnel.
