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Tunnel and weapons cache uncovered near Jerusalem in foiled major terror plot, police say

The Zioneer Intelligence Desk
Tunnel and weapons cache uncovered near Jerusalem in foiled major terror plot, police say

Primary source Internal intake · 2 reviewed intake signals · Desk window 02:24

TL;DR

Israeli forces uncovered a 25-meter-deep tunnel east of Jerusalem, dug from Judea and Samaria toward Israeli territory, and separately found a large weapons cache in a well in the village of al-Jib, the Israel Police said. Two suspects — a Palestinian from Al-Eizariya and an East Jerusalem resident — were arrested after forensic evidence linked them to the tunnel. Authorities assess the infrastructure was tied to a planned major attack in the Jerusalem area.

01 · THE DISPATCH

The Israel Police announced early Tuesday that a large-scale terrorist plot in the Jerusalem area had been disrupted after two parallel discoveries by security forces.

Border Police uncovered a 25-meter-deep tunnel shaft near the A-Za'im (Az-Za'ayyem) crossing, on the seam line separating Jerusalem from Palestinian Authority-controlled territory. Forensic evidence, including DNA, linked two suspects — a Palestinian resident of Al-Eizariya and an East Jerusalemite — to the tunnel, leading to their arrest.

In a separate operation nearby in the village of al-Jib, near Givon HaHadasha (northwest of Jerusalem), Border Police discovered a weapons cache submerged at the bottom of a deep water pit. The haul included Carlo-style submachine guns, magazines, 5.56mm ammunition, a remote-control trigger, a pipe bomb, an explosive charge, demolition blocks, liquid explosives, and other weapons components. Explosives were neutralized by Border Police sappers.

The Zioneer previously reported on both discoveries as separate events late last week (June 24–26): the tunnel find near the crossing, and the multi-night well operation in al-Jib. Tuesday's police statement presents the two finds as components of a single suspected plot, noting that authorities believe the infrastructure was intended for "hostile terrorist activity" possibly tied to a planned major attack. The investigation is ongoing.

02 · How it developed

2 developments

  1. Latest

    Two suspects arrested; tunnel depth confirmed at 25 meters.

  2. Forces uncover weapons-packed terror tunnel in East Jerusalem village, police say

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03 · Source and signal

Source and signal

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This dispatch is published under The Zioneer Intelligence Desk. Raw intake channels remain internal provenance; an external outlet or channel is named only when it materially helps readers evaluate a specific claim.