The Palestinian group held Israel responsible for “military escalation” along the borders.
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Earlier the Israeli army twice confirmed its tanks had fired on targets in Gaza. “The prospect of an Israeli technology capable of detecting the tunnels thus threatens both its future achievements and its fighting ethos, which may be one reason for its renewed threats against Israel”, Harel wrote.
“The IDF will continue to act decisively and as much as needed to destroy all underground tunnels”, the statement reads. No injuries were reported.
Air strikes hit around Gaza’s derelict global airport near the southern city of Rafah and in nearby farming areas, without causing any casualties, said the territory’s Hamas-run interior ministry.
The Israeli army says a tank has fired at a target in the northern Gaza Strip following an explosion on the Palestinian side of the border. “Our efforts to destroy the Hamas terror tunnel network, a grave violation of Israel’s sovereignty, will not cease or be deterred”, military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said.
Hamas leaders, while stressing they do not seek an imminent war, see tunnels as a strategic weapon in any armed confrontation with Israel and have vowed not to stop building them.
Israel has also waged three wars on Gaza since 2008, including the 2014 offensive, which left more than 2,200 Palestinians dead and over 11,100 others injured.
During a visit to the Gaza border on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed its calmest period in years, according to comments reported by Israeli media.
The Tel Aviv regime and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire that ended Israel’s devastating 50-day aggression in 2014.
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“The Israeli escalation is a new development and the Palestinian resistance is conducting consultations to decide how to react to it”, said Mushir al-Masri, a senior Hamas leader, according to a report by the Jerusalem Post.
