- Title: ISRAEL: Israeli community near Gaza on alert fearing militant infiltration
- Date: 3rd August 2014
- Summary: NETIV HAASARA, SOUTHERN ISRAEL (AUGUST 3, 2014) (REUTERS) ISRAELI NEIGHBOURHOOD NEAR GAZA BORDER ISRAELI SOLDIER USING BINOCULARS TO WATCH OVER THE AREA SOLDIER ON LOOKOUT VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS AT LOOKOUT HOUSE OF CUPERSTEIN FAMILY VARIOUS OF ISRAELI RESIDENT, TAL CUPERSTEIN, USING MOBILE PHONE CUPERSTEIN FAMILY AT LIVING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) RESIDENT OF NETIV HAAS
- Embargoed: 18th August 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Israel
- Country: Israel
- Topics: General,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA58D6XPUNS5LXAQFMMTTCQAR4Z
- Story Text: Soldiers descended on the small Israeli agricultural community of Netiv Haasara, near the northern Gaza Strip, on Sunday (August 3), following intelligence reports that Hamas militants were attempting to infiltrate the area.
The Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, said on Sunday three dozen tunnels in total had been unearthed and destroyed and that "we are finishing up de-commissioning these tunnels".
He also told NBC's "meet the Press": "We hope that that job will be completed in a matter of hours, not days".
The destruction of tunnels built by Hamas militants and going deep into Israel was the main aim of weeks of military strikes on Gaza.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said an alert system put in place in various areas had suggested an attempt may be made to infiltrate through Netiv Haasara.
Residents live in fear of attacks.
The Cuperstein family locked up their homes, shut down their windows and kept close to their bomb shelter.
"The thought that there are people under my house or close to my house digging and maybe they will just come out one day and, I do not know what they will do, kill me or kill my family. It is scary," said 16-year-old Noah Cuperstein.
"I heard that they are coming out, I hope that some soldiers will stay here and be between us and Gaza, I don't know. We don't know, nobody tells us what it's going to be," Limor Cuperstein, mother of three, said.
About two weeks ago, a tunnel opening was discovered 500 metres from Netiv Haasara, raising fears of a deadly attack by Palestinian militants.
Residents of border towns have been spooked after a deadly battle ensued between the Israeli troops and a squad of Gaza militants, who had tunnelled their way across the border and emerged about a mile away from the farm community of Nir Am, a short drive from Netiv Haasara.
Early into Israel's offensive on Gaza, the IDF released video footage of an audacious Hamas raid on Israel's Zikim Beach, also near Netiv Haasara, in which they say Hamas commandos emerged from the sea onto the beach. Israel said it killed 10 gunmen in the battle, while four soldiers died in the fight. The military said some were wearing Israeli army uniform and were equipped with explosive belts.
Since July 8, when Israel launched an offensive aimed at destroying militants' rocket stockpiles and the secret tunnel network, most families have abandoned their properties near the Gaza border lands.
Israel has dubbed the network of subterranean passages "Underground Gaza", which it says serves as Hamas command bunkers and houses rocket-launch silos. The military says it has discovered 30 tunnels so far.
Some of those cement-fortified burrows reached into Israel and since the offensive began, Palestinian gunmen have tried to cross into Israel three times.
Following more fighting in Gaza on Sunday the deathtoll after 27 days of fighting soared to 1,772 Palestinians, most of them civilians. Israel has confirmed that 64 soldiers have died in combat, while Palestinian rockets have also killed three civilians in Israel. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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