Israel Defense Forces on Thursday confirmed that a significant amount of weapons and ammunition for Hamas were obtained via smuggling through tunnels that connect Gaza to Egypt.
While Israel has focused a large amount of attention on Iran's efforts to bring weapons to Hezbollah via Syria and to Hamas via smuggling attempts by sea or through the official crossings, it may be that the extensive smuggling tunnels under the "Palestinian connection" connecting Gaza and Egypt have been ignored.
When the Egyptian government began to secure the border in ten years ago, including digging down about 32 feet in depth and placing barricades to prevent future tunnels.According to a Hebrew language report from Walla! News, Israeli military forces and the Shin Bet security agency are concerned about the use of terror tunnels, allowing Hamas terrorists to exit Gaza near the Israel-Egypt border, thereby opening another battlefront.
Richard Goldberg, senior adviser for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies , said, "The United States has long turned a blind eye to Iranian smuggling through Egypt to arm, equip, and train Hamas. Like everything post-Oct. 7, we need a reset on how we view the Egyptian-Gaza border and how we will work with the Egyptians to shut down illicit smuggling routes."
The tunnels are also the location where the captives taken in the Oct. 7 invasion are reportedly being held.
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