United States-Israel Anti-Tunnel Cooperation Enhancement Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7866 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7866

To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 to 
improve cooperation between the United States and Israel on anti-tunnel 
                         defense capabilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 2, 2024

 Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Lamborn, 
  Mr. Schneider, Mr. Bacon, and Mr. Moulton) introduced the following 
  bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in 
   addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 to 
improve cooperation between the United States and Israel on anti-tunnel 
                         defense capabilities.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Israel Anti-Tunnel 
Cooperation Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Israel is an international leader in developing 
        innovative defense technologies, including pioneering efforts 
        to map, detect, destroy, and maneuver through terror tunnels.
            (2) Terrorist organizations on Israel's borders such as 
        Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, with Iran's 
        help, have constructed a labyrinth of subterranean passages 
        under the Gaza Strip and areas of southern Lebanon to improve 
        their military capabilities as well as to attack and kidnap 
        Israeli soldiers and civilians.
            (3) Since October 7, 2023, over 1,500 new terror tunnel 
        shafts, around 350 to 450 miles long, built under hospitals, 
        schools, and homes in Gaza have been discovered with over 5,700 
        entrance points.
            (4) In the Gaza Strip, Hamas intentionally uses civilians 
        as human shields by placing its underground tunnel network 
        beneath densely populated areas, connecting its terror 
        infrastructure to schools, hospitals, and mosques.
            (5) Tunnels in Gaza and Lebanon are used as underground 
        rocket manufacturing and launching sites, weapons caches, 
        bunkers, transportation networks, and command and control 
        centers.
            (6) The United States and Israeli intelligence indicate 
        that both Hamas' military leadership is sheltering in the 
        subterranean tunnel network as well using it to hold innocent 
        Israeli hostages.
            (7) The United States faces similar subterranean threats on 
        the Korean Peninsula, the southern border and in various 
        theaters in the Middle East.
            (8) Israel shares its anti-tunnel technology with the 
        Departments of Defense and Homeland Security who work to 
        advance this technology further enhancing the United States' 
        ability to deal with this growing threat on our own border and 
        around the world.
            (9) Since October 7, 2023, there is an increased need to 
        scale up bilateral cooperation on anti-tunneling efforts as a 
        reflection of the complexity of the subterranean terror reality 
        in Gaza revealed since the start of Israel's military campaign.
            (10) Such an increase in joint United States-Israel 
        cooperation will not only benefit Israel but will also help the 
        United States and allies across the globe that face similar 
        challenges from subterranean tunnels.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 1279(b)(4) of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2016 (22 U.S.C. 8606 note) is amended by striking 
``$50,000,000'' and inserting ``$80,000,000''.
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