IDF General: ‘Nothing But Death in Terror Tunnels’

Although Israel has never acknowledged that it has a role in the recent numerous collapses of terror tunnels in Gaza, Israeli officials have hinted that the tunnels are more unsafe now than they have been in the past. After yet another Hamas terrorist was killed in a terror tunnel collapse Saturday night, IDF Gaza security coordinator General Yoav Mordechai issued a statement with a word of warning to Gazans.

“Our advice to the dear residents of Gaza is to stay away from the terror tunnels,” Mordechai said in a social media post in Arabic. “You will find nothing there but death. Once again another terrorist has discovered that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. This terrorist, a member of Izz a-Din al-Kassam, was killed when a tunnel collapsed on him in eastern Gaza. It is likely that others are trapped in that tunnel. We repeat: The Hamas terror tunnels bring death.” Over the past year, a significant number – as many as several dozen – terrorists were killed in the same way, according to IDF estimates.

Also Motzoei Shabbos, Border Guards near Maale Adumim arrested a terrorist who was found to be carrying a gun. The terrorist had driven by the security gate entrance of the town several times, and Border Guards eventually stopped the vehicle and searched it, finding the gun. The terrorist was arrested. In a statement, Border Guards said that the officers who made the arrest were “to be praised for their awareness and defusing of the situation with no injuries to civilians or security forces.”

Overnight, security officials said they arrested nine wanted security suspects in other areas in Yehudah and Shomron. The suspects were wanted for participating in rioting and throwing stones and firebombs that endangered Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. Several of the suspects were also charged with belonging to Hamas. All were being questioned on their activities by security forces.