Israel says it destroyed Hamas tunnel using new techniques

The Israeli military on Sunday said it has destroyed a tunnel built by the Hamas militant group that stretched from the Gaza Strip several hundred meters (yards) into Israeli territory, declaring a breakthrough in its war against underground threats from the Palestinian enclave.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, told reporters that Israel had used a new set of "tools" developed since a 2014 war with Hamas in order to destroy the tunnel. He said forces had detected the tunnel months ago and continued to monitor construction efforts by Hamas militants before demolishing it.

Conricus said the tunnel began in the central Gazan town of Khan Younis and stretched for over a kilometer (half a mile) across the border and into Israel. Although not complete, he said the tunnel was "very substantial," equipped with electricity, communications equipment and a ventilation system. It was located about a kilometer from an Israeli community.

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