The entrance of a tunnel from the Israeli side of the border on Thursday. Photo by Jack Guez/UPI | License Photo

An Israeli army officer walking near the entrance of the tunnel. Photo by Jack Guez/UPI | License Photo

Israel says the tunnel was dug by the Islamic Jihad group leading from the Palestinian enclave into Israel, near southern Israeli kibbutz of Kissufim. Israel uncovered and destroyed the tunnel in late October. Photo by Jack Guez/UPI | License Photo

Israeli soldiers near the entrance of a tunnel that Israel says was dug by the Islamic Jihad group leading from the Palestinian enclave into Israel, near southern Israeli kibbutz of Kissufim. On Thursday, officials in Israel revealed plans for 40-mile underground wall around Gaza. Photo by Jack Guez/UPIA | License Photo

An Israeli army officer walks near the entrance of a tunnel that Israel says was dug by the Islamic Jihad group leading from the Palestinian enclave into Israel, near southern Israeli kibbutz of Kissufim. On Thursday, officials in Israel revealed plans for 40-mile underground wall around Gaza. Photo by Jack Guez/UPIA | License Photo

Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Officials in Israel on Thursday gave journalists a tour of a destroyed militant Islamist tunnel and a peek at construction of an underground wall they hope will thwart terrorist groups from digging their way into Israeli territory.

The massive underground barrier is the first of its kind in the world. The project, scheduled to be finished by the end of next year, is made of reinforced concrete walls that will run for 40 miles along the entire Israeli-Gaza border.


The wall will have underground sensors to help to detect any future tunnels and a fence almost 30 feet tall will help prevent crossings over ground.

As construction progresses, Israeli military expects to find and destroy several more attack tunnels that enter Israel from Gaza. During the last three months, Israeli forces destroyed three tunnels that penetrated Israel from Gaza.

Israel has been dealing with underground tunnels for years. In 2006, Palestinian fighters emerged from a tunnel near the Egyptian border, capturing one soldier and killing two others.

The solder was held for more than five years, released in return for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. In 2014, a Hamas squad used a tunnel to ambush and kill five Israeli troops.