US and Israel Would Conduct Annual Tunnel Exercises Under House Plan
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In this photo taken during a controlled tour with the Israeli Military, IDF soldiers exit a tunnel built by Hamas in Northern Gaza on Jan. 7.
Photographer: Noam Galai/Getty ImagesThe latest draft of the House Armed Services Committee’s $895 billion defense spending bill would require the US to conduct joint exercises with Israel aimed at improving the countries’ ability to fight militants and smugglers in underground tunnels, part of a push to counter a key advantage of Hamas and other groups.
Section 1233 of the proposed legislation would “require military exercises in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to conduct an annual counter-tunneling exercise with Israel.” It would authorize an additional $30 million for research and technology in an ongoing “United States-Israel Anti-Tunnel Cooperation” project.