ANALYSIS: SOUTHERN BORDER AS EXPLOSIVE AS EVER:

On 8 July two years ago, one of Israel's longest wars erupted. In the summer of 2014, the IDF and Hamas in Gaza traded fire for 50 days; Israeli cities came under near daily Hamas rocket attacks, warning sirens rang out and Iron Dome interceptors flooded the skies; IDF ground units moved into the Strip to destroy 34 cross-border tunnels; and the Israel Air Force dropped thousands of bombs at Hamas targets, which had been hidden near residential buildings, hospitals and mosque. During the past two years, Hamas has worked to replenish its rocket stockpiles. At the same time, Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system has continued to evolve. The batteries can intercept at greater range, contend with larger salvos, and have additional, classified abilities. To deal with the tunnel threat, advanced tunnel detection technologies are in place. The IDF Southern Command is also constructing a massive underground barrier on the Gazan border, which should be completed within a year and a half, and stymie the tunnel diggers. (J.Post)