Jerusalem (AFP) Israel’s army said Sunday it has uncovered another Hezbollah “attack tunnel” leading from Lebanon into its territory, the fourth since it started a search-and-destroy operation this month.
Israel says the Iranian-backed Shiite militant group has dug the infiltration tunnels for use in a future conflict, and the military has been working to eliminate them.
The latest tunnel crossing into northern Israel was exposed at the weekend, the army said in a statement.
As with the other tunnels, soldiers placed explosives in it to keep out militants from the Lebanese side, it said.
The military refused to give the exact location, stressing the tunnel did not “pose an imminent threat”.
Imagine terrorists digging an attack tunnel like this towards your home. Hacking away inch by inch underground in order to kill you & your family. Israelis don’t need to imagine. It’s our job to protect them.
We just found a FOURTH Hezbollah tunnel dug from Lebanon into Israel. pic.twitter.com/PkHaTrrvDa
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 16, 2018
On December 4, the army announced an operation dubbed “Northern Shield” to destroy tunnels it said have been dug under the border by Hezbollah.
Israel fought a devastating war against Hezbollah in 2006 that was halted by a UN-brokered truce.
Hezbollah is the only group in Lebanon not to have disarmed after the country’s 1975-1990 civil war.
“The Lebanese government is held accountable for the attack tunnels dug from Lebanese territory,” the Sunday statement said.
“This is another blatant breach of UN Resolution 1701 and of Israeli sovereignty,” it added, referring to the resolution ending the 2006 war.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, UNIFIL, and international community should do more to curb Hezbollah’s “acts of aggression against Israel”.
UNIFIL has verified the existence of two of the tunnels Israel has exposed so far.
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