Israel begins building underground wall around Gaza

By Kaamil Ahmed

JERUSALEM

The Israeli military has begun building a new wall around the blockaded Gaza Strip that will not only line the perimeter above ground but also extend deep underground, according to local media.

Work on the new barrier, which will cost two billion shekels ($531 million), can be seen from southern Israeli communities near the Gaza border, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported Wednesday.

The barrier has been designed to reach underground to counter tunnels Israel accuses Hamas, who run the Gaza Strip, of digging to carry out attacks on Israelis.

The newspaper reported that Israeli residents near Gaza, who are keen for the project to go ahead, are concerned the wall might not be completed over funding, as the government has not fully clarified how the project will be financed.

In May, Israeli operations inside Gaza to destroy tunnels led to an exchange of fire between the two sides with Hamas firing mortar shells at Israeli forces.

More than 2,300 Palestinians were killed and thousands injured in late 2014 when Israel launched a deadly offensive aimed to undermine Palestinian capabilities to fire rockets into southern Israel.