Israeli security forces uncovered a 25-meter-deep terror tunnel dug from Al-Eizariya toward Israeli territory near the A-Za'im crossing, east of Jerusalem, and arrested two suspects — a Palestinian from Al-Eizariya and an East Jerusalem resident. A subsequent report from Israeli media on Wednesday evening said a second East Jerusalem suspect was arrested as part of the same investigation, with digging tools and forensic evidence linking them to the tunnel. The IDF and police suspect the tunnel was intended for terror activity.
A second East Jerusalem resident has been arrested in connection with the terror tunnel discovered near the A-Za'im crossing, Israel Police said Wednesday evening, expanding the investigation for the first time since the initial arrests. The tunnel, 25 meters deep and dug from Al-Eizariya toward Israeli territory, was first reported at 11:50 Jerusalem on Wednesday, when security forces arrested two suspects — a Palestinian from Al-Eizariya and an East Jerusalem resident, both in their 30s.
By 17:43 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that DNA evidence linked the two suspects to the shaft, where digging tools, water bottles, gloves, and face masks had been recovered. The new arrest of a second East Jerusalem suspect, made by the same Judea and Samaria District Central Unit (YAMAR), was reported at 21:10 Wednesday evening, with digging tools and forensic evidence connecting them to the tunnel, according to Israeli media.
Authorities suspect the tunnel was intended for terror attacks or smuggling operations, though no specific plot has been publicly detailed. The tunnel's depth and proximity to the West Bank security barrier — near A-Za'im, a major transit point east of Jerusalem — highlight ongoing concerns about subterranean infiltration from Palestinian areas toward the capital, as The Zioneer reported earlier Wednesday.
It remains unclear how many additional suspects may yet be arrested, and what specific target or operation, if any, the tunnel was meant to facilitate. The investigation is ongoing.
5 developments
- StrongTunnel and weapons cache uncovered near Jerusalem in foiled major terror plot, police say
- DevelopingSuspect arrested on Highway 1 near Mevasseret tunnel
- DevelopingPolice arrest six illegal residents, two Israeli drivers at Judea and Samaria checkpoints; one suspect wanted for planning attack
- StrongDocumentation Shows Terrorists Arrested Moments Before Jerusalem Attack
Source and signal
- Open-source intake