Israel uncovers 7 km long Hamas tunnel with 80 rooms at 25-meter depth
Tel Aviv: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have discovered a significant Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip, which had recently housed the remains of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin. Lieutenant Goldin was killed during the 2014 Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Earlier this month, Israel recovered his remains, bringing closure to the long-standing case.
The IDF released a video on Thursday showing the tunnel where Goldin’s body had been kept. According to the military, the tunnel runs under densely populated Rafah neighborhoods, passing beneath UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) compounds, mosques, clinics, and kindergartens, making it a complex and strategically sensitive structure.
The tunnel, used by Hamas commanders for storing weapons, planning attacks, and extending operational areas, stretches over seven kilometers in length, reaches a depth of 25 meters, and contains around 80 rooms. It was uncovered by the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit along with Shayetet 13 naval commandos, highlighting Israel’s continued counter-terrorism operations in the region.
IDF officials stated that several rooms in the tunnel had been used as command posts by senior Hamas figures, including Mohammad Sinwar and Mohammad Shabana. The discovery sheds light on the extensive underground infrastructure that Hamas maintains to conduct military operations and evade Israeli surveillance.
The unveiling of the tunnel and recovery of Goldin’s remains is a significant development in Israel’s ongoing security and counter-terrorism strategy in Gaza. It emphasizes the challenges posed by subterranean networks and the importance of intelligence-driven operations in neutralizing threats while minimizing civilian risks in densely populated areas.
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