Report: Three Palestinians hurt, five missing in Gaza tunnel collapse
Just this past week, a Gaza tunnel collapsed on in Shujaiyeh, in the eastern part of Gaza city, killing a Hamas operative who was inside.
By JPOST.COM STAFF, YAAKOV LAPPINUpdated: MARCH 19, 2016 22:02Hamas shows new tunnels built in Gaza(photo credit: ARAB MEDIA)
Three Palestinians were seriously injured and five others were declared missing after a tunnel collapsed underneath the Gaza City town of Khan Yunis, Palestinian press reported on Saturday.If the report is confirmed, this would mark the 10th time over a two-month period that a tunnel has collapsed inside the coastal enclave.Last Monday, a Gaza tunnel collapsed on in Shujaiyeh, in the eastern part of Gaza city, killing a Hamas operative who was inside.Izzadin Kassam, Hamas’s military wing, named the operative as 36-yearold Al-Salam Al-Batniji. It described the collapse as a work accident.And earlier this month, The Jerusalem Post, citing Palestinian sources, reported that Hamas operatives were afraid to enter underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip fearing they will collapse.Some of the operatives digging the tunnels believe Israel was involved in at least a few of the recent tunnel collapses that claimed the lives of several Hamas men.In January and February, official reports described collapses caused by recent storms and heavy rains; however there are many who believe Israel is responsible.Noam Rotenberg and Noam Amir of Ma’ariv contributed to this report.