December 10th, 2005
IDF SPOKESPERSON ANNOUNCEMENT
A tunnel intended for infiltration, leading from the Gaza Strip to Israel,
had been uncovered

A tunnel originating from the Gaza Strip and leading towards Israel was
uncovered yesterday afternoon by IDF forces. Terror organizations had
intended to use the tunnel in order to infiltrate Israel and carry out
terror attacks within the country.

During engineering works conducted in the north of the Gaza Strip, IDF
forces revealed the tunnel shaft near the Erez security crossing. The shaft
connected to the tunnel path leading to a garbage dump site, behind which
the terrorists had intended to discretely enter the tunnel and infiltrate
Israel.

The tunnel is several meters in depth and approximately 20 meters in length.
IDF forces are now operating to detonate the tunnel in a controlled manner
and render it useless.

This is the first tunnel to be uncovered since IDF forces completed their
withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. This is in addition to the revelation of a
similar tunnel dug for infiltration purposes near the "Karni" goods
crossing, which was uncovered by IDF forces on December 7th 2004.

Maj. Gen. Yoav Gallant, Head of the Southern Command, praised the forces and
noted that in revealing the tunnel they had prevented a terror attack inside
Israel.

IDF forces remain on high alert in the region and will continue to operate
against terror attacks wherever the Palestinian Authority fails to do so in
order to defend the citizens of the state of Israel.