3 Israeli soldiers injured in Gaza border explosion

Three Israeli soldiers were injured on Tuesday in a bomb explosion in the southern Gaza Strip, Israel's army said. One soldier was taken to hospital with severe injuries and two others were slightly wounded in the blast, an Israeli army spokeswoman said. The soldiers were injured while on a "routine mission" near the southern Gaza border, she said. An eyewitness told Arabstoday that the incident took place near the Faraheen crossing in east Khan Younis. On October 19, an explosive device damaged an Israeli military vehicle near the border in the central Gaza Strip. Israeli forces stationed at the border opened fire towards al-Qarara village after the explosion. Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza in June 2007 after the elected Hamas government took full control of Gaza. The Israeli army said it discovered a hidden tunnel dug under the 7 metre-high border fence with Egypt built by Israel. This is the first time where they had discovered a tunnel under this fence, sources said. He added that the tunnel was probably used to smuggle drugs. The Israeli army will send soldiers to scout the area in search for more tunnels. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the discovery of the tunnel helped to stop African illegal migrants from entering into Israel’s border with Egypt. Israel's border with Egypt has seen a notable activity of Jihadist groups against Egyptian and Israeli targets, most prominently an attack against an Israeli patrol in August in which eight Israeli soldiers were killed.