TEL AVIV – Four days into a cease-fire, Hamas is already starting to construct new tunnels in the Gaza Strip, Hamas sources claimed to WND.
The Israel Defense Forces had no immediate comment on the Hamas boast.
One of the primary objectives of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza the past few weeks has been to demolish the series of tunnels that snaked throughout Gaza, with exits both inside Israel and across the Egypt border.
Hamas uses the Egypt-Gaza tunnels to smuggle goods and weapons. It uses the internal Gaza tunnels to traverse the territory under the radar of Israeli surveillance. And the tunnels exiting inside Israel are designed for commando raids and terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
TRENDING: Greatest Show on Earth: The Hur report hearing
Hamas deployed tunnel warfare tactics to deadly effect throughout the recent rounds of fighting.
The Hamas sources speaking to WND would not disclose which kinds of tunnels the group is purportedly constructing.
Tuesday, Israel and the Palestinians agreed to a broad interim cease-fire.
The truce calls for an end to Hamas attacks and Israel Defense Force strikes and the opening of Israel’s border with Gaza to more humanitarian goods. The Gaza-Egypt border is to be gradually reopened under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority, which will take responsibility for ensuring against weapons smuggling.
Also, Israel agreed to extend a so-called fishing zone off Gaza’s coast to six miles from three miles.
The truce calls for the discussion of broader issues in the near future, including the release in Israel of hundreds of Hamas prisoners and Hamas requests for an airport and seaport. Israel is demanding the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, possibly under an international mechanism.