The media quoted Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman as stating that the tunnel was longest and the deepest it had ever destroyed.

According to Israeli military sources, the army has so far destroyed nearly 30 tunnels, ever since the Gaza War broke out in 2014.

Military spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus has pinned the blame on Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist organization.

Conricus further stated that the digging began in the area of Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip and penetrated into Israeli lands.

"We filled the tunnel with material that renders it useless for a very long period of time," he said.

Meanwhile, following Western strikes against Syria, experts have said that Israel and Iran will be on its way to a war soon.

Shots have already been exchanged between the two Middle-Eastern states.

In February, Iran drew first blood after it sent a drone into Israeli airspace.

The Benjamin Netanyahu-led government responded by striking a Syrian airbase, which was used by Iranian soldiers as a command and control centre.

In a second strike, conducted last week, Iranian military advisors were gunned down.

Though Israel is yet to own up the attack, it is an open secret, as the state seldom acknowledges conducting strikes.

Jonathan Schanzer, member of Foundation for Defense of Democracies, has said that it might be the ugliest war the Middle East has witnessed in the 21st century.

In his column in The New York Times, commentator Thomas L. Friedman wrote: "Israel and Iran are now a hair trigger away from going to the next level — and if that happens, the US and Russia may find it difficult to stay out."

In view of the recent events, Russia has come down hard at the Western front- United States of America, United Kingdom and France- for launching a coordinated strike against Syria on last Saturday, in response to the alleged chemical attack earlier this month.

The said chemical attack accounted for over 70 deaths, though Syria has said it wasn't behind the attack.

The coordinated attack mainly targeted Syrian chemical facilities, as confirmed by the concerned parties.

"Russia condemns in the strongest possible terms the attack against Syria, where Russian military personnel are assisting the legitimate government in its counterterrorism efforts," Vladimir Putin, Russian President, said in his official statement.

Taking a swipe at the US, Putin added, "Through its actions, the US makes the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Syria even worse and brings suffering to civilians. In fact, the US panders to the terrorists who have been tormenting the Syrian people for seven years, leading to a wave of refugees fleeing this country and the region."   

Syria enjoys backing from Iran and Russia, while facing criticism from a host of nations, which includes Israel.

Where does that leave Kremlin-Jerusalem relations?

According to Israeli media outlet Haaretz, all is well between the two nations amidst bulging tensions.

"...below the surface, a number of figures who are familiar with Israeli-Russian ties say the diplomatic and military communications have continued — consistent, stable and practical — even after the attack," read an analysis report published by the outlet.

Noa Landau, the author of the report, attributed the normal Israel-Russia relations to the former's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's camaraderie with Putin.

"The Israeli command center of relations with Russia in recent years has been the Prime Minister's Office. After all, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also the foreign minister," she wrote.

"He has often said that his close personal relationship with President Vladimir Putin plays an important role in the two countries' good relations.

"The two men have met and spoken on the phone many times over the past few years — including last week, after the strike on the T-4 air base," she added.

However, she has said that the interests of Kremlin and Jerusalem does not follow the same track.

"Even if most of the individuals who are involved in maintaining Jerusalem-Moscow relations are not sending up alarms, it's clear to all that when the metaphoric Russian autumn arrives — that is, the eventual withdrawal of the United States from the region and the stabilization of the Syrian government with a significant Iranian presence — Israel's situation will suffer and the possibility of preventing or even limiting negative developments will disappear," the report added. 

Image: IDF Spokesperson