Senior Hamas tunnel network defector tried to flee to Israel by sea: sources

Western intelligence sources monitoring events in Gaza confirmed Monday that a senior operative from the Hamas tunnel network defected to Israel last week. The sources identified the defector as Sami Atauna, a resident of the Jebalya refugee camp who came to the border fence by himself and surrendered to an IDF patrol. The sources added that the senior operative had also made an unsuccessful attempt to defect to Israel by sea during the past few weeks. It is not clear whether there is any connection between the defection and the discovery of a Hamas tunnel leading into Israel, which was announced by the IDF on Monday.