The Israeli military began construction on a massive underground defense system along the northern border with Lebanon on Sunday, in an effort to defend against cross-border tunnels.
“The deployment of the infrastructure is another component of the extensive defense effort that is regularly conducted in the Galilee region,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. “IDF forces will continue to fulfill their mission of defending and operating around the clock in order to preserve the sovereignty of the State of Israel and protect its residents.”
Approximately a year ago, the Israeli military discovered and destroyed six large tunnels crossing from Lebanon into Israel that were believed to have been constructed by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist group.
The new project will utilize state-of-the-art technology to identify the acoustic and seismic signatures of tunnels being excavated, according to IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus. The IDF representative said the work would all take place on Israel’s side of the border, and that the United Nations has been notified.
Israel has recently taken additional precautions along the northern border, after Hezbollah, which is believed to possess an arsenal of some 130,000 missiles, fired anti-tank missiles into Israel in September. Israel responded with artillery fire, and no casualties were reported on either side.
