Israel DM says Hamas preparing itself for renewal of violence

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Israel DM says Hamas preparing itself for renewal of violence

(Xinhua) 08:39, November 04, 2013

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JERUSALEM, Nov. 3 -- Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon warned on Sunday of renewed violence from Gaza as Hamas is arming itself through a honeycomb of tunnels under the strip.

Ya'alon, who was visiting five wounded soldiers who were hurt last Thursday while uncovering a tunnel from Gaza, warned Hamas against renewing violence against Israel.

"Hamas sees it as a way to lay infrastructure for terror attacks. We consider Hamas, which is engaged in digging and controls Gaza, as responsible. Calm will be met with calm," he told daily Ynet News, as he was leaving Soroka Hospital in Beersheva.

The five men were hurt when a bomb, placed inside the tunnel, went off and left four of them moderately injured, and one seriously, with 80 percent of his body burnt.

"Hamas is preparing itself for the renewal of violence," Ya' alon said, adding that the army is "concerned about the tunnel phenomenon but the Israel Defense Force knows how to deal with them."

During Thursday's incident, the army later killed three Hamas' bomb and tunnel experts, when they destroyed part of the tunnel they had discovered. Another Hamas militant was killed in Gaza the same day when Israeli troops detected an antitank cell and opened fire against it.

Due to the Israeli partial blockade in Gaza since 2007, tunnels have become another form of trade in the coastal strip, with some of them as wide as to fit cars. Though most of them run from Gaza to its border with Egypt, Israel uncovers and destroys some from time to time, in fear that they will be used to attack Israeli citizens or kidnap soldiers.

（Editor：YaoChun、Zhang Qian）