From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Islamic Jihad leader says exploded tunnel was built to kidnap IDF troops
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSenior Islamic Jihad leader Khaled al-Batash says that the attack tunnel stretching into Israeli territory from Gaza that was blown up by the Israeli army Monday night was built for the purpose of kidnapping Israeli soldiers.
“The aim of the tunnel was kidnapping soldiers in order to free prisoners [from Israeli jails],” Batash said, speaking at a funeral in Gaza for five PIJ terrorists—including two senior commanders—and two terrorists from Hamas’s armed wing that were killed as a result of the tunnel’s destruction.
“Islamic Jihad will not allow the occupation to impose new rules of engagement on us,” al-Batash adds.
The PIJ leader says his group would build another tunnel at a later date in order to free prisoners from Israeli jails.
— Dov Lieber
The Times of Israel Community.