- Title: ISRAEL: New York Gov. Cuomo visits militant tunnel near Gaza border community
- Date: 14th August 2014
- Summary: EIN HASHLOSHA, ISRAEL (AUGUST 14, 2014) (REUTERS) NEW YORK GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO ARRIVING TO MEET SOLDIERS, ACCOMPANIED BY FORMER ISRAELI PRESIDENT SHIMON PERES CUOMO TALKING TO SOLDIERS SOLDIER LISTENING CUOMO AND PERES POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS CUOMO GETTING OUT OF TANK CUOMO AND PERES WALKING TOWARDS TUNNEL EXIT CUOMO TALKING TO MILITARY (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW YORK GOV
- Embargoed: 29th August 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Israel
- Country: Israel
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA4RRLSDHMSO76O1SGH378KTATD
- Story Text: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo visited on Thursday (August 14) a tunnel that Hamas Islamists had dug to infiltrate Israel. The tunnel was discovered by a farmer six months ago near the kibbutz or agricultural community of Ein Hasholsha near Gaza border.
His visit, accompanied by former Israeli president Shimon Peres, came as Israel and the Palestinians renewed a truce that had largely tempered a five-week-old war, but the deal got off to a shaky start on Thursday with rockets from Gaza slamming into Israel and Israel retaliating with air strikes.
Cuomo assured Peres of the support of New Yorkers. He told Peres Israel and the United States shared the same enemy.
Of the tunnels, Cuomo said they showed Hamas was always trying to find new ways to harm Israel.
"It's always a new level of attack and there is always another technology, there is always another adaptation, you know, the enemy is not giving up," Cuomo said.
An Israeli military officials on site told Cuomo the tunnel went 2.2 kilometers (1.3 miles) inside Gaza and then another mile (1.6 kilometers) from the security fence to its exit. It had high ceiling and was wired.
A farmer discovered the tunnel some six months ago.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive on July 8 with the aim of halting militant rocket barrages from the enclave. Days later, Israel said that the main goal was to eradicate a warren of underground passages and sent ground forces in.
The army said it destroyed 32 tunnels, but believes some, which also serve as bunkers and weapons caches, survived intact.
During the month-old conflict, militants infiltrated Israel several times and killed five soldiers at a lookout post.
One of Israel's concerns about the tunnels is that they might be used to abduct Israelis, as happened in 2006 when Gaza infiltrators grabbed soldier Gilad Shalit. They held him for over five years before freeing him in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
The one-month long conflict between Israel and militants in Gaza has killed 1,945 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and 67 on the Israeli side. A new ceasefire negotiated in Cairo was due to expire at 2100 GMT - midnight in Gaza - on Monday (August 18). - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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