A Palestinian resident of Al-Azriya and a resident of East Jerusalem were arrested early Wednesday morning on suspicion of involvement in digging a tunnel that was discovered near the A-Za'im crossing in the Jerusalem area.
The investigation began after a report was received from the Civil Administration about the identification of a tunnel in the crossing area.
The Shi'ite District police and Border Police soldiers from the Jerusalem Encirclement who were called to the scene located a tunnel that was dug from the territories of Judea and Samaria towards Israeli territory. According to the police, the depth of the tunnel reached approximately 25 meters.
Digging tools, water bottles, gloves, face masks and other equipment were seized at the scene.
The forensic investigators of the Shi'a District collected evidence and findings at the scene. As part of the investigation, forensic findings were located, among other things, including DNA samples that led to the revelation of the identities of the two suspects.
The two were arrested and taken for questioning.
The police are investigating a suspicion that the tunnel was dug recently and was intended to be used to commit security offenses, including terrorist acts and the introduction of illegal residents into the territory of the State of Israel.
Commander of the Shi'a District, Lt. Col. Moshe (Mozi) Cohen: "The discovery of the tunnel and the arrest of the suspects illustrate the determination and operational and investigative capabilities of the Shi'a District in thwarting security threats before they even materialize.".
""This is an infrastructure that is suspected of being used for terrorist activities and smuggling illegal residents into the country. We will continue to operate with zero tolerance against any attempt to harm the security of Israeli citizens, using all operational and intelligence tools at our disposal."
