Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman revealed Monday that the military destroyed another Hamas terror tunnel dug near the Gaza Strip-Israel border.
The Israeli Air Force struck multiple terror targets in the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Monday morning, including what military officials called "underground infrastructure," after a rocket was fired from Gaza into southern Israel on Sunday evening.
In recent months, the IDF has destroyed several terror tunnels dug by Islamic Jihad and Hamas under the border. Most recently, the military destroyed a tunnel dug under the Kerem Shalom goods crossing, through which some 1,500 trucks, delivering an average 15 million tons of goods, travel into Gaza daily.
Speaking at a Yisrael Beytenu faction meeting, Lieberman said, "What we have been seeing over the past 10 days, on the northern and southern borders, including overnight [Monday] when we destroyed a terror tunnel near Kerem Shalom, proves that the Israel Defense Forces is ready for any scenario in zero time. It wasn't easy to get this [countertunnel] ability and we have withstood tests with no warning.
"This is an important message to the residents in Israel's north and south – you can go on with your daily routine and we are doing everything we can to ensure this routine is not disturbed," he said.
Defense officials declined to say whether the tunnel destroyed this week was new or part of the tunnel destroyed in the area in January.
After the tunnel under the Kerem Shalom crossing was discovered, Lieberman said the Israeli military developed cutting-edge countertunnel technology that will enable it to destroy all Hamas terror tunnels by the end of 2018.
He lambasted Hamas for compromising the only goods crossing into Gaza, saying the decision was "a cynical move by [Hamas'] leadership. They risked the main pipeline through which most aid flows to the strip. This only shows you whom we're dealing with. Make no mistake."
Lieberman stressed that despite the large scope of terror tunnels discovered, Israel must stick to its security strategy.
"Our strategy is very clear. We don't change our moves according to sporadic mortar fire, or one pundit's assessment of the situation. We are consistent in our operations. The destruction of terror tunnels, the construction of the [underground tunnel] barrier, and our concern for the residents of the border-adjacent communities. We're offsetting all of their [Hamas'] strategic capabilities," he said.
On Monday, he noted that despite Israel's countertunnel and counterterrorism operations in Gaza, he does not believe the situation would escalate into a full-fledged conflict with Hamas.
"I don't think Hamas wasn't war. I don't think they [Hamas leaders] have a different view than us on how such a war would end. Our strategy is clear: we pressure Hamas before a military campaign is launched," Lieberman said.
