Israel’s Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police on Tuesday announced that they have gained intelligence on underground tunnel locations in Gaza as a result of June’s arrest of two Gazans who were smuggling cash into Judea and Samaria for the Hamas terror group.
Faiz Attar, 65, worked as a courier by smuggling tens of thousands of euros hidden in his shoes. Attar’s family was also involved with Hamas by digging cross-border tunnels and using a private home for Hamas meetings.
“The investigation revealed information about the openings of tunnels that were located, for the most part, under civilian structures such as innocent residences and mosques, as well as about launching points for rockets that were located close to civilian structures, thus endangering the civilian population in the Gaza Strip,” the Shin Bet said.
The second suspect, 27-year-old Itallah Sarhan, was caught trying to smuggle 10,000 euros in his shoes. Sarhan also worked as a truck driver for a company that cleared sand from tunnel-digging sites for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Investigators learned about several tunnel excavation sites through Sarhan’s interrogation.
“He divulged considerable information about openings of tunnel shafts including their exact locations and conditions, and the terrorist organizations responsible,” the Shin Bet said, adding, “The State of Israel allows, on a monthly basis, the entry of thousands of residents of the Gaza Strip for humanitarian medical and other needs. More than once, terrorist elements have exploited these permit holders for illegal purposes including the transfer of cash for terrorism.”