IDF finds fourth Hezbollah attack tunnel on Israel-Lebanon border
The tunnel is the latest in a series uncovered by the Israeli army during a military operation dubbed “Northern Shield.” The army launched the operation on December 4, after years of intensive and careful planning.
The army said in a statement Sunday that the tunnel, which was located over the weekend, “is under IDF control and does not pose an imminent threat.” The statement said that the relevant local authority leaders were updated on the discovery.
The IDF warned against entering the tunnel from the Lebanese side now that it is under Israeli control, saying that explosives have been laid inside.
“The Lebanese Government is held accountable for the attack tunnels dug from Lebanese territory,” the IDF statement said. “This is another blatant breach of UN Resolution 1701 and of Israeli sovereignty,” it added, referring to the UN resolution that ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War fought between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, Lebanon’s most powerful armed group, dug the tunnels under the border with the aim of launching attacks into Israeli territory with backing from its regional sponsor Iran.
Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a warning to Hezbollah during a visit to the Israel-Lebanon border earlier this month. “If they make the mistake of choosing to harm us, they will sustain an unimaginable blow,” he said.
“Hezbollah thought it was digging… but we knew and planned carefully. It didn’t leak, we kept the secret,” the prime minister added. “We’re implementing exactly what we planned, but we’re also prepared for unplanned things, and there’s great firepower here.”
Read More: Y Net