IDF patrol along border with Lebanon
IDF patrol along border with LebanonFlash 90

Residents along the Lebanon border in the Western Galilee have been forced to turn to private investors to finance investigations over possible terror tunnels into Israel, Channel 10 revealed in a special expose Monday. 

Several communities have begun approaching investors over the issue, after residents say that multiple pieces of evidence demonstrating that Hezbollah is building an advanced terror tunnel network into Israeli soil is being ignored. 

Investors would fund private contractors to investigate the ground near the border and security experts to assess the risks. 

The Chairman of the Zerait Moshav in the region explained to the news daily that as the IDF waffles on a response, residents have been desperate to get to the bottom of the issue - but could not afford the extensive groundwork for the investigation.

"After we decided to dig [for evidence of tunnels - ed.] by ourselves, it turned out that [the tunnel operation] has a very high cost," he said. "Unfortunately we are unable to raise the funds on our own." 

"We have already talked with the Technion and other officials and institutes," he added. "We are currently looking for funding to carry out inspections and excavations in the area, while we will continue to demand from the army to carry out the excavations under the supervision of the Engineering Corps." 

Security officials stated to Kol Israel Radio in October that the IDF is, indeed, losing control along Israel's northern borders - and that any attacks by Hezbollah would be disastrous. 

Alarm has also been raised after the IDF and Defense Ministry cut guard duty near northern border communities - just one year after a similar move along the Gaza Belt saw an escalation in terror and, eventually, war. 

Northern residents have responded to the apparent apathy to the situation by arming themselves, and gun ownership along the Lebanese and Syrian border communities has risen as high as 60% in recent months. 

But while IDF sources have reported to Arutz Sheva that the army is covertly conducting an investigation of reports that Hezbollah has been building a complex network of terror tunnels, the IDF reiterated Monday that it has not found evidence of terror tunnels along Israel's northern borders.