Yuval Arad, head of the Kochav Yair - Tzur Yigal local council, says that residents in his council complain about hearing quarrying noises underground, and there is a real fear of tunnels under the settlement.
In an interview with Galei Israel radio, Arad said: "There is a group of residents who have been complaining for weeks that they hear digging noises and the house is shaking. The council is located 300 meters north of Qalqilya and 500 meters from other hostile villages. I am concerned because if there is anything we have learned in recent years it is that the residents are the first to hear these noises. In the past the claims of the residents in the north and south were underestimated and in the end it turned out that there were indeed tunnels.
On the attitude of the security officials to the residents' concern, Arad said: "The security officials are conducting inspections and I hope this is taken seriously. After October 7, the public's fear is enormous. I receive countless complaints from residents, including last Friday when residents called the security coordinator of the settlement because they hear quarrying from underground."
