JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The IDF revealed on Saturday night that it had destroyed a Hamas tunnel which had been dug into Israel’s territory, reaching within 500 meters of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha. The IDF stressed that the tunnel had been revealed when Israel created an obstruction on the border in 2019. At the time it was decided not to destroy the tunnel but rather to monitor it for activities.
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The IDF also emphasized that the tunnel was not used by Hamas during the Oct. 7th attack, but journalist Shai Levi revealed that despite IDF efforts to monitor the tunnel throughout the war, a terrorist had emerged from the tunnel on Oct. 22nd and fired an anti-tank missile which killed IDF soldier Tamir Barak HyD and injured several others.
Additionally, there was another tunnel opposite Kibbutz Nir Oz which was defined by the IDF as “close to the border” and this was also used on a number of occasions by terrorists to attack forces entering Gaza
The Oct. 22nd attack occurred before the IDF incursion into Gaza, as a small IDF force went to identify bodies of Israelis which were scattered near the Kissufim border. The combat engineers force was attacked by terrorists and 19-year-old Tamir Barak was killed.