Last update - 00:00 24/02/2008
IDF troops uncover five arms smuggling tunnels in south Gaza
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
Israel Defense Forces troops on Sunday uncovered five tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip used for smuggling weapons.
The tunnels were found during an IDF operation in Dahaniyeh, east of Rafah.
Troops from the Givati Brigade, Armored Corps and Engineering Corp arrested some 40 Palestinian militants suspected in terror attacks against Israel during the operation, the IDF said.
The IDF said that the troops came under fire a number of times during the operation and that forces returned the fire.
There were no injuries among the IDF troops, the army said.
Intelligence data presented at a conference of IDF commanders earlier this month showed that there has been a sharp increase in the amounts of weapons and explosives smuggled into the Strip during recent months.
The army is particularly concerned with the flow of arms through the Rafah crossing when Hamas toppled the wall there last month, prompting Gazans to pass freely over the breached border for 12 days.
Meanwhile, some 40,000 Palestinians are expected to march along the Gaza Strip's border on Monday in protest of Israel's economic embargo on the coastal territory.
The IDF fears that the protesters will attempt to breach Gaza's border with Israel during the demonstration and has ordered troops to prepare for "all scenarios."
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