Hamas Leader Boasts of Terror Tunnel-Building in the Gaza Strip

Gaza-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniyyeh on Saturday boasted of his organization’s aggressive program to build tunnels through which its gunmen will attack Israeli targets. Declaring Hamas’s “underground tunnels and above ground rockets” planning, Hanniyeh said, “We are continuing on the path of jihad and towards the territories’ liberation. The resistance is in a state of preparation, improvement and equipping of all its weapons in order to be ready for the any conflict with Israel.” His remarks came as Hamas prepared to bury operatives killed in the collapse of one of the tunnels under construction. In Israel, the Netanyahu government has been widely criticized for its alleged failure to deal with the threat of new tunnels: improved versions of those that proved to be effective in the last confrontation, Operation Protective Edge. Residents in communities near the border with Gaza have complained of hearing the sounds of tunnels being built beneath them and claim the army and government have done nothing to deal with the threat. Simultaneously, Hamas has been building its presence in the West Bank, ostensibly under control of its rival faction, Fatah.