Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Israel Defense Forces on Sunday said the air force destroyed a mile-long tunnel built by Hamas under Gaza, Israel and Egypt.

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN the strike was carried out Saturday with "necessary coordination" with Egypt.

Sources told the Palestinian News Network no one was injured in the strike.

"This is a blatant violation of Israeli sovereignty, endangering the citizens of Israel and sabotaging the humanitarian efforts that Israel is making for the citizens of Gaza," an IDF statement read.

Israel said the tunnel was being used to smuggle weapons and militants from Egypt into the Gaza Strip in order to attack the Kerem Shalom crossing. The IDF also closed the crossing.

"The terrorist organization Hamas is responsible for everything happening in and out of the Gaza Strip," the IDF said.

Cornricus said that if the tunnel was only to smuggle harmless goods, there was no need for it to go under Kerem Shalom.

This is the third tunnel into Gaza Israel has destroyed in two months. </s> The Israeli military says it has destroyed a tunnel built by the Hamas militant group that stretched from the Gaza Strip, though Israel and into Egypt.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus says Sunday the 1.5-kilometer (1-mile) long tunnel ran underneath the Kerem Shalom border crossing, Gaza’s main point of humanitarian aid, and under strategic gas and fuel pipelines. He says Israeli jets struck part of the tunnel and a new set of sophisticated “tools” destroyed the rest.

He said forces had been monitoring its construction for some time and an imminent attack on Israelis was possible.

Israel has placed a high priority on halting the tunnel threat since Hamas infiltrated Israel during the 2014 war. It marks the third such tunnel Israel has destroyed over the past two months. </s> JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it has destroyed a Gaza attack tunnel that penetrated Israeli territory.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, says Sunday the new tunnel was connected to a network dug by Hamas militants in the northern Gaza Strip and entered Israel near the Israeli community of Nahal Oz. It’s the fifth such Hamas tunnel Israel has destroyed in as many months.

Conricus says the tunnel was adjacent to the site of recent mass protests, which Israel says Hamas is using as a cover for attacks.

He says Hamas began building the tunnel following the 2014 war. Israel has placed a high priority on halting the tunnel threat since Hamas infiltrated Israel during the war. </s> JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said Sunday it destroyed an attack tunnel built by the Hamas militant group that stretched from the Gaza Strip, through Israel and into Egypt, and that ran past Israeli military posts as well as gas and fuel pipelines.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the 1.5-kilometer (1-mile) long tunnel ran underneath the Kerem Shalom border crossing, Gaza’s main point of entry for humanitarian aid.

He said Israeli jets struck part of the tunnel and a new set of sophisticated “tools” destroyed the rest. Conricus said forces had been monitoring its construction for some time and an imminent attack on Israelis was possible. The crossing has been closed until further notice.

Israel has made neutralizing the tunnel threat a top priority since its 2014 war, when Hamas militants on several occasions made their way into Israel. Although they did not manage to reach civilian areas, the infiltrations caught Israel off guard, killing five soldiers in one attack, and terrified the local population.

Sunday’s operation marked the third such tunnel Israel has destroyed over the past two months. But Conricus said this did not mark “more of the same” since it involved the most advanced technological means Israel has deployed.

“(We) now hold a method, an organized system to destroy terror tunnels dug into Israel,” he said in an early morning briefing to reporters. “This is a key mission for us and our intention is to allow quiet and to deter Hamas so we can continue to build the obstacle.”

Hamas initially said a typical smuggling tunnel was destroyed, but had no immediate response to the Israeli announcement. There were no casualties in the Israeli airstrike. The demolition of a tunnel belonging to the Islamic Jihad militant group in November killed a dozen militants.

Speaking from India, where he is on an official visit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the significance of the operation. “We are systematically destroying Hamas’ and Islamic Jihad’s tunnel infrastructure. Let them not mess with us,” he said.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the tunnel’s construction was a clear violation of Israeli sovereignty and destroying it delivered a stinging blow to one of Hamas’ most significant assets. “The message to Gaza’s leadership and residents is clear — invest in the sanctity of life and not these burial tunnels,” he said.

Conricus, the military spokesman, noted that the tunnel’s route stretched underneath the Kerem Shalom crossing, where 15 million tons of food, clothing, construction material and other essential goods had been transferred into Gaza since the 2014 war. Israel and Egypt have maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power in 2007.

Conricus said the crossing itself was a potential target, as well as the gas and fuel pipelines. The tunnel could have also been used to transfer militants and arms for attacks in Israel or Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, he said.

“It was a terror tunnel designed to strike strategic Israel assets,” he said.

He didn’t specify which tools were used, but in the past Israel has said its new system involves combat units, military intelligence, logistics and research to destroy the tunnels. The military released photos and video of a wide tunnel with concrete paneled walls. </s> Israel says it destroys Hamas tunnel network in Gaza

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said Sunday it has destroyed a Gaza attack tunnel built by Hamas militants that penetrated Israeli territory.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said the new Hamas tunnel was connected to a network dug in the northern Gaza Strip and entered Israel near the Israeli community of Nahal Oz. It's the fifth such Hamas tunnel Israel has destroyed in as many months.

Conricus said the tunnel was adjacent to the site of recent mass protests, which Israel says Hamas is using as a cover for attacks.

Conricus said Hamas began building the tunnel following the 2014 war. Israel has placed a high priority on halting the tunnel threat since Hamas infiltrated Israel during the war. Although they did not manage to reach civilian areas, the infiltrations caught Israel off guard, with one attack killing five soldiers, and terrified the local population.

In two weeks of protests, 28 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,500 wounded by Israeli fire. The marches have been organized by Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, but large turnouts on two preceding Fridays were also driven by Gaza's dire living conditions and desperation among the territory's 2 million residents, who have been enduring a crippling border closure by Israel and Egypt since 2007.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said this was the longest and deepest tunnel Israel has discovered thus far.

"It's a tunnel that cost millions of dollars to dig, money that instead of going to ease the hardship of Gaza's residents has sunk in the sand," he said. "Residents of Gaza: Hamas is burning your money on tunnels to nowhere."

Hamas had no immediate comment.

Israel is erecting a subterranean barrier to detect and prevent attack tunnels. Israel says the barrier, as well as new technological innovations, have rendered the Hamas tunnel project futile.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008. During the most recent conflict in 2014, Israel destroyed 32 tunnels. </s> JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said Sunday it destroyed a tunnel built by the Hamas militant group that stretched from the Gaza Strip through Israel and into Egypt, and that ran past Israeli military posts as well as gas and fuel pipelines.

Military spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the 1.5-kilometre-long tunnel ran underneath the Kerem Shalom border crossing, Gaza's main point of entry for humanitarian aid.

He said Israeli jets struck part of the tunnel and a new set of sophisticated "tools" destroyed the rest. Conricus said forces had been monitoring its construction for some time and an imminent attack on Israelis was possible. The crossing has been closed until further notice.

Israel has made neutralizing the tunnel threat a top priority since its 2014 war, when Hamas militants on several occasions made their way into Israel. Although they did not manage to reach civilian areas, the infiltrations caught Israel off guard, killing five soldiers in one attack, and terrified the local population.

Sunday's operation marked the third such tunnel Israel has destroyed over the past two months. Conricus said this did not mark "more of the same" since it involved the most advanced technological means Israel has deployed.

"(We) now hold a method, an organized system to destroy terror tunnels dug into Israel," he said in an early morning briefing to reporters. "This is a key mission for us."

Hamas initially said a typical smuggling tunnel was destroyed, but had no immediate response to the Israeli announcement. There were no casualties in the Israeli airstrike. The demolition of a tunnel belonging to the Islamic Jihad militant group in October killed a dozen militants.

Speaking from India, where he is on an official visit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the significance of the operation. "We are systematically destroying Hamas' and Islamic Jihad's tunnel infrastructure. Let them not mess with us," he said.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the tunnel's construction was a clear violation of Israeli sovereignty and destroying it delivered a stinging blow to one of Hamas' most significant assets. "The message to Gaza's leadership and residents is clear — invest in the sanctity of life and not these burial tunnels," he said.

Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, who heads COGAT, the defence body responsible for Palestinian civilian matters, told the Arabic-language Alhurra TV station that Israel had information about other tunnels and that "soon, we will hear about the uncovering of the existing tunnels." </s> The Israeli military has said it destroyed an attack tunnel built by the Hamas militant group that stretched from the Gaza Strip into Egypt.

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said the mile-long tunnel ran underneath the Kerem Shalom border crossing, Gaza's main point of entry for humanitarian aid.

He said Israeli jets struck part of the tunnel and a new set of sophisticated "tools" destroyed the rest. There were no casualties.

Lt Col Conricus said forces had been monitoring its construction for some time and an imminent attack on Israelis was possible. The crossing has been closed until further notice.

Israel has made neutralising the tunnel threat a top priority since its 2014 war, when Hamas militants on several occasions made their way into Israel.

Although they did not manage to reach civilian areas, the infiltrations caught Israel off guard, killing five soldiers in one attack, and terrified the local population.

Sunday's operation marked the third such tunnel Israel has destroyed over the past two months.

But Lt Col Conricus said this did not mark "more of the same" since it involved the most advanced technological means Israel has deployed.

"(We) now hold a method, an organised system to destroy terror tunnels dug into Israel," he said.

He said the tunnel's route stretched underneath the Kerem Shalom crossing, where 15 million tons of food, clothing, construction material and other essential goods had been transferred into Gaza since the 2014 war.

Israel and Egypt have maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power in 2007.

Lt Col Conricus said the crossing itself was a potential target, as well as gas and fuel pipelines. The tunnel could have also been used to transfer militants and arms for attacks in Israel or Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, he said.

"It was a terror tunnel designed to strike strategic Israel assets," he said.

He did not specify which tools were used, but in the past Israel has said its new system involves combat units, military intelligence, logistics and research to destroy the tunnels.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "We are responding to aggression against the state of Israel and are taking vigorous and systematic action against hostile infrastructures."

Defence minister Avigdor Lieberman said the tunnel's construction was a clear violation of Israeli sovereignty and destroying it delivered a stinging blow to one of Hamas' most significant assets.

"The message to Gaza's leadership and residents is clear - invest in the sanctity of life and not these burial tunnels," he said. </s> Jerusalem (CNN) The Israeli military said Sunday it destroyed a mile-long tunnel that stretched from Gaza under Israel and into Egypt.

"Necessary coordination" was made with Egyptian authorities, Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said.

The Israeli military at first described the target as a "terror infrastructure" site, in a statement shortly after the strike, clarifying that it was a tunnel in a conference call with reporters Sunday.

Israel blamed Hamas for building the tunnel and says it holds the Islamist group responsible for all actions emanating from Gaza.

The tunnel, which began approximately 900 meters into the coastal enclave along the Gaza-Egypt border, crossed into Israel under the Kerem Shalom border crossing before continuing into Egypt.

Read More </s> A massive tunnel built by the Hamas terror group in northern Gaza — the “longest and deepest” one ever found — has been destroyed after the Israeli military infiltrated the territory, officials said.

The passage near Nahal Oz was reported to be connected to a network of other tunnels in the Gaza Strip.

“A tunnel in which millions of dollars were invested, money that instead of relieving the strain on residents, was buried in the sand,” Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said after the tunnel was sealed up this weekend. “Residents of Gaza, Hamas is burning your money on tunnels to nowhere. We will get our hands on all of them.”

Israel had been monitoring construction of the tunnel network for years but decided to move in after tunnel diggers began working their way up to the surface, a military spokesman told The Times of Israel.

“This was clearly a terror tunnel that connected to other tunnels in the Gaza Strip,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said. “It extended into Israel and violated Israeli sovereignty.”

The tunnel went through a border section that Hamas, especially in the last two weeks, has turned “into an area of terror and fighting,” Israel’s military said.

It also was the fifth tunnel from Gaza to Israel that has been destroyed in recent months, according to Conricus, and it reportedly extended tens of yards into Israeli territory.

“The [Israeli Defense Forces] doesn’t seek an escalation. We are defending our borders,” Conricus told The Times of Israel. “We will not tolerate or allow Hamas to turn the border area into an active combat zone.”

Conricus said the tunnel was adjacent to the site of recent mass protests, which Israel says Hamas is using as a cover for attacks.

In the last two weeks, 28 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,500 wounded by Israeli fire. The marches have been organized by Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers, but large turnouts on two preceding Fridays were also driven by Gaza’s dire living conditions and desperation among the territory’s 2 million residents, who have been enduring a crippling border closure by Israel and Egypt since 2007, according to the Associated Press.

Conricus said Hamas began building the tunnel following the 2014 war. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008. During the most recent conflict in 2014, Israel destroyed 32 tunnels.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Israeli Air Force destroys a Hamas tunnel more than a kilometer long that headed from Beit Hanun, Gaza towards Israel.