On Saturday evening, a Gazan terrorist popped out of a tunnel and opened fire on a Paratrooper unit, in Gaza.

The soldiers returned fire, killing the terrorist.

The IDF has released the video of the thwarting of this morning’s failed terror tunnel attack into Kibbutz Sufa.

Watch the terrorists scurry back into their hole, and then the IDF blows it up.

That’s how you play Whack-a-Mole.

The censor has permitted the following for publication:

Early Thursday morning, July 17, at approximately 4am, a Gaza/Hamas terror cell, consisting of 13 terrorists, exited a secret terror tunnel, that opened up near near Nachal Oz and Kibbutz Sufa, east of Gaza.

(Update: there are unconfirmed reports that there were 15 terrorists. Report will be updated if needed).

Thank God, some very alert elite IDF soldiers saw the terror cell, and began to open fire.

The terror cell, now under IDF gunfire tried to run away back into the terror tunnel. At that point IDF artillery, tanks and the air force began shelling the tunnel and the terrorists.

No IDF soldiers were injured in the attack. At least 8 terrorists have been killed. The tunnel has been destroyed.

Among the weapons on them, the terrorists had  at least 20 RPG-7 rocket launchers, as well as guns, grenades, and more.

By 7:15 this morning, all the towns near Gaza, except Sufa, Hulit, and Kerem Shalom have returned to normal status. Those three areas are still on high alert.

Update: 9:30am All clear for all towns.

A closeup of the tunnel entrance near Kibbutz Sufa. Photo via: Smiley Hafuch / Rotter.net

Some of the weapons carried by the terrorists who tried to infiltrate into Kibbutz Sufa. Photo: IDF spokesman.

More weapons captured from the Sufa tunnel attack. Photo: vIDF spokesman.

The tunnel exit near Kibbutz Sufa. Photo via: Democritus / Rotter.net.

The tunnel battle this morning as seen from Gaza. Photo via Rotter.net.

Kibbutz Sufa, near the Gaza border. Photo: Google Earth.

At the beginning of Operation Protective Edge, two major terror tunnels were blown up, that exited inside Israeli territory.

Over the past year, at least four additional major terror tunnels from Gaza into Israel have been discovered and destroyed.

It is believed that Hamas has built numerous terror tunnels that crisscross from Gaza in Israel, for the purpose of kidnappings and terror attacks.

Israel is planning to hold another cease fire at 10am today, this time for “humanitarian” purposed. Hamas will obviously use this time to regroup, to attack again.

The IDF announced on Thursday that it discovered a new Gazan terror tunnel near Ein HaShlosha, east of Khan Yunis. The tunnel was of a similar scale to the Gaza terror tunnel that was discovered 5 months ago.

“The exposure of this tunnel was based on intelligence, and boots on the ground in the vicinity of the Gaza security fence,” IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, said, ”Our operational assumption is that Hamas and other terror organizations continue to tunnel and prepare points of attack against Israel and its civilians. This advanced tunnel was intended to pose a direct link and threat to Israeli territory, and enable Hamas terrorists to reach and harm Israeli civilians. Tunnels such as this are built to assist terrorists in the execution of terror attacks. In the past Gaza terrorists have utilized such tunnels to Israel for infiltration, detonation and abduction of Israeli citizens.”

Hamas’s Iz al-Din al-Qasam called a news conference and denied that this was a new tunnel, but rather it an old tunnel that was being rebuilt by their terrorists.

Hamas said the tunnel collapsed from the massive rainstorm, which exposed it to the IDF.

The IDF blew the tunnel up in a controlled explosion.

Israel continues to allow in construction material into Gaza which is used to build these terror tunnels.

Five IDF soldiers were injured last night at the start of the clash with Gaza.

A Golani unit was in the process of destroying the terror tunnel discovered on October 7 that led to the inside of Israeli Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha, when they were injured in an explosion. It is not yet clear if the explosion was from an explosive device or mortar fire.

Reportedly, the soldiers were 100 meters inside Gaza, working on destroying the part of the terror tunnel on the Gaza side of the fence.

The soldiers were evacuated to Soroka hospital in Be’er Sheva by helicopter. At least one was brought in, in serious condition, one in moderate, and the rest with lighter injuries.

The soldier who was seriously injured is Achiyah Klein (Achiyah ben Nira) of Kfar Etzion. Klein is an officer in the Yahalam combat engineering unit.

The IDF responded with tank fire, helicopter fire, and reportedly navy fire at Khan Yunis in Gaza.

Four Gazan terrorists were killed in the IDF response.

Recently, the IDF began reducing the forces placed within the Gaza border communities, saying that the situation is now safer along the Gaza border. On Thursday evening the IDF pulled out their last soldier stationed within the communities in Sha’ar HaNegev.

The Mossad gave an assessment this week, that as US pressured talks progress with the Palestinian Authority, Hamas will escalate their terror activities against Israel.

An astounding 20% of Hamas’s annual budget goes into building terror tunnels, according to an IDF estimation, which is based on numbers published by Hamas in Gaza.

With an annual budget of $700 million, it’s estimated that $100 million goes directly towards building terror tunnels into Israel and the Sinai, said a report in Makor Rishon.

The IDF estimates there are many more terror tunnels leading into Israel, besides the four that were recently found.

It is unknown how much more of their budget then goes into acquiring and building missiles and explosives.

Hamas’s Finance Minister complained that Hamas has lost $460 million since June, as a result of Egypt blowing up 90% of Hamas’s tunnels in the Sinai.

Hamas says they need their terror tunnels to kidnap Israelis, to help free terrorists captured by Israel who were trying to kill Israelis.

Just imagine if they had instead put that money towards new schools, medical centers, or social programs to improve their country.