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Fresh Israeli-Gaza fire-exchange after Israel uncovers cross-border Hamas tunnel

Xinhua, May 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Israeli tank fired artillery shells toward Gaza militants on Thursday afternoon, after the discovery of a cross-border Hamas tunnel triggered more mortar fire from the besieged Palestinian enclave at soldiers near the border.

Local media reported that the mortars were aimed at soldiers and heavy machinery near the site of the tunnel.

A military spokesperson confirmed that at least two mortar rounds "were fired at forces during operational activity adjacent to the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip." No soldiers were injured in the incident, he added.

Minutes later, a tank fired artillery toward the source of the fire, according to the spokesperson.

Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported that four Palestinians, including three children, were injured in airstrikes by Israeli war jets early on Thursday morning.

The latest fire exchange came less than two hours after the military announced that it has uncovered a Hamas tunnel extending from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. The exit of the tunnel is located on southern Gaza border across Rafah town, where much of the past day's exchange of fire took place.

"Forces are operating on the ground to learn its route," a military spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the tunnel is expected to be destroyed in the next few days.

The army considers the 28-meter-deep tunnel as an "offensive tunnel" that Gaza militants constructed with the aim of attacking Israel in the future.

The Israeli side of the tunnel was declared a close military zone, with no civilians allowed except residents of two communities that are located near the site.

It was the second cross-border tunnel being found since the 2014 Gaza War. On April 18, Israel said it has uncovered and destroyed a tunnel built by Hamas, the Islamist organization that controls Gaza, to "infiltrate Israel" and carry out "terror attacks" against Israeli community near the border.

Israel's 51-day-long offensive in Gaza in the summer of 2014 killed at least 2,250 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and 72 Israelis, including two soldiers, according to the United Nations.

The violence ended with a fragile cease-fire on Aug. 26, 2014. Endit