The Israeli military says it has discovered an underground tunnel dug from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip into Israel.

The military says it believes the Islamist group, which governs the Palestinian territory, dug the tunnel to carry out an attack or to kidnap Israelis.

The army said Sunday it discovered the tunnel a week ago, after finding an opening near a kibbutz along the Israel-Gaza border.

The army statement also says the tunnel is 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) long and appears to have been recently dug and in use until its discovery.

Hamas has dug tunnels into Israel in the past.

In 2006, Hamas militants sneaked into Israel through one such tunnel, kidnapped a soldier, and held him hostage in Gaza for five years.