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KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza (AFP) — In a “tunnel metropolis” underneath the sandy soils of southern Gaza, Palestinian terrorists are making ready for the subsequent battle with Israel, as tensions in Jerusalem threaten to escalate.
The underground passageways depart no hint on the floor.
However in a wooded space close to Khan Younis, seven masked males in navy fatigues carried a group of machine weapons and grenade launchers right into a tunnel entrance discreetly tucked into the foot of a small hill.
The gunmen put on headbands of the Al-Quds Brigade, the armed department of the Islamic Jihad terror group which is the second-largest armed faction in Gaza, after Hamas, which guidelines the territory.
The tree branches masking the opening reveal a slim passageway walled and topped with concrete blocks.
Full with electrical lights, a air flow system and telecoms cables, the tunnels even have small rooms for storing weapons and ammunition.
A member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group enters a tunnel within the Gaza Strip, on April 17, 2022, throughout a media tour amid escalating violence with Israel. (Mahmud Hams/AFP)
An Islamic Jihad official advised AFP throughout a media tour that the motion has each defensive and offensive tunnel programs.
The latter “is used for taking Israeli troopers captive, repelling Israeli floor offensives and finishing up varied discipline operations,” stated the commander.
As he was speaking, he acquired a radio alert of a “safety incident” east of Gaza Metropolis — a false alarm.
Final Could throughout an 11-day battle initiated by Gaza’s Hamas rulers, Israel launched a number of strikes in opposition to what it referred to as the “Gaza Metro,” a community of tunnels that had allowed gunmen to maneuver round with out being noticed by Israeli drones and to take Israeli targets abruptly.
Members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group enter a tunnel within the Gaza Strip, on April 17, 2022, throughout a media tour amid escalating violence with Israel. (Mahmud Hams/AFP)
KFC and rockets
Residents of Gaza, a cramped, besieged coastal territory house to 2.3 million individuals, have had a protracted expertise of utilizing tunnels since 2007, when Israel and Egypt imposed a crippling blockade in response to Hamas seizing energy within the Strip. Israel maintains the blockade to forestall Hamas, which overtly seeks to destroy Israel, and different Gaza terror teams from importing weapons.
Smugglers established a community of tunnels on the border with Egypt, enabling them to import every little thing from desperately wanted family items to vehicles and even Kentucky Fried Hen — in addition to weapons.
Lately, Egypt has destroyed most of these tunnels.
Israel, for its half, has boosted its forces across the territory, reinforcing a hyper-secure barrier with an underground metal wall it hopes will forestall tunnels from reaching into Israeli territory.
A member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group walks in a tunnel within the Gaza Strip, on April 17, 2022, throughout a media tour amid escalating violence with Israel. (Mahmud Hams/AFP)
Israeli commanders concern terrorists may use such tunnels to grab Israeli personnel or civilians to be used as bargaining chips in prisoner exchanges.
However even when Islamic Jihad’s tunnels can not attain Egypt or Israel, they’re nonetheless “a strategic weapon for the resistance,” stated Al-Quds Brigade spokesman Abu Hamza.
“We’ll let the times and the battles to come back do the speaking concerning the means of the resistance to interrupt via this so-called [Israeli] barrier,” he advised AFP.
Weeks of lethal violence together with a collection of Palestinian terror assaults in Israel, Palestinian riots and a police crackdown round Jerusalem’s Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa Mosque, and stepped up IDF operations within the West Financial institution have prompted Islamic Jihad to threaten an escalation.
A member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group exits a tunnel within the Gaza Strip, on April 17, 2022, throughout a media tour amid escalating violence with Israel. (Mahmud Hams/AFP)
After two lethal assaults in Tel Aviv and Bnai Brak, the IDF carried out large-scale raids within the West Financial institution, notably the Jenin space from which the terrorists hailed.
These operations sparked intense firefights which killed a number of fighters from Islamic Jihad, which is supported by Israel’s nemesis Iran.
And on Monday night, a rocket was fired from Gaza into Israel, prompting an Israeli airstrike in opposition to a weapons manufacturing unit.
No faction has but claimed accountability, however the incident — the primary of its sort since January — heightened fears of an additional escalation.
Members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group arrange a mortar within the Gaza Strip, on April 17, 2022, throughout a media tour amid escalating violence with Israel. (Mahmud Hams/AFP)
A few hours’ drive from Gaza Metropolis, “the tunnels have been repaired and the rocket shares have been replenished” since final 12 months’s battle, in response to Abu Hamza, who praised Iran for its help.
The spokesman wouldn’t be drawn on the dimensions of the group’s tunnel community or what number of fighters it has.
However one other Al-Quds Brigade supply, who requested to not be named, stated it had “a lot of offensive tunnels that stretch deep into [Israel] and are linked as much as a system of drones.”
He stated the group additionally had rockets able to reaching the entire of Israel.
A brief distance from one of many tunnel entrances, a gaggle of gunmen sat chatting underneath the bushes.
“We’ve acquired directions to mobilize and be on excessive alert to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem,” stated one.
“The rockets are on excessive alert and we’re ready for the management to determine.”
Instances of Israel workers contributed to this text.
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