The Gaza terror tunnel uncovered last week, was built with cement supplied by Israel, according to Reshet Bet.
The tunnel was built 18 meters underground using 500 tons of cement and concrete. It was dug over a 2 year period. It’s the third such tunnel uncovered this year.
In the past, as Hamas was using cement and steel to build reinforced bunkers and terror tunnels, in 2007 Israel restricted the flow of these materials primarily to humanitarian projects generally overseen or requested by international humanitarian organizations, often using European Union funding.
Following EU, UN, and international pressure, as well as official requests by the Palestinian Authority, Israel eased some of the restrictions on cement and iron imports.
But Hamas has apparently been diverting the cement and steel from various projects to build their latest mile and a half long terror tunnel which reached into Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha.
500 tons of cement and concrete is approximately 27 truckloads.
Whether the international organizations knew about the diversion is something that should be investigated.
An anonymous security source said that Raed al Atar, the head of Hamas’s military wing was responsible for this particular terror tunnel. Defense Minister Yaalon temporarily halted the transfer of building materials into Gaza this weekend.
In September, Amir Oren, spokesman for the radical leftwing Israeli NGO Gisha, complained to AFP about the amount of cement Israel was letting in. He said, “It doesn’t make up for the amount which came through the tunnels to Gaza in the first half of the year when they were in regular operation.”
Draw your own conclusions.
