Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on February 7 that it had uncovered a major tunnel in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, previously used by senior leaders of the Hamas Movement and later converted into a hostage-holding facility
Troops of the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit and other special forces under the 98th Division raided the “strategic” tunnel, according to the IDF, which also noted that the tunnel was around a kilometer long.
The IDF said senior Hamas leaders had previously resided in the tunnel, and hostages were later held there during the war.
“The troops battled terrorists in the tunnel, breached blast doors and neutralized explosive devices,” the IDF said.
In the tunnel, Israeli troops found a holding cell where hostages had previously been kept, a bathroom, and a resting area for the fighters guarding the hostages, the IDF said.
A total of 12 hostages were held in the tunnel at different times, three of whom have already returned to Israel, the IDF said. It added that it also recovered various findings and weapons in the tunnel.
Some 132 hostages remain in Gaza out of the 240 taken during the October 7 surprise attack, which was planned and led by Hamas.
The IDF said that the newly-uncovered tunnel was built “in the heart of a civilian area in Khan Younis” and according to its estimates, millions of shekels were invested in its construction. It says the tunnel is part of a “branching underground labyrinth” that also connects to another tunnel where hostages were held, revealed by the IDF several weeks ago.
A vast network of tunnels used for smuggling and warfare purposes exists under Gaza. The underground tunnel network allows Hamas and other Palestinian armed factions to store and shield weapons, gather and move underground, communicate, train, launch offensive attacks, transport hostages and retreat without being detected by the IDF. This network of tunnels is colloquially referred to as the Gaza metro.
The IDF has been using several tactics to destroy tunnels under Gaza, from carpet bombing to pumping seawater into certain areas.
Still, The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Israeli and American officials believe that as much as 80 percent of the tunnel system under the Strip may be intact.
i don’t believe anything the zionist child killers say at face value, they said there were hundreds of miles of tunnels, in a piece of land twenty five miles long by five miles wide that’s some engineering.
it’s possible though. think of there being several levels of tunnels. there are of course tunnels just beneath the surface. these likely are used for transferring between building and various sites. deeper tunnels for logistic. and the deepest will most likely host the leadership barracks etc. it’s not unbelievable. they have had decades to build these structures and had had lots of expertise in such projects provided to them.
in the end the israeli claim they have uncovered and neutralized 20% of these tunnels. but what is 20%? is it 20 percent of the total tunnels? 20 percent of tunnels found? because fact is the israelis don’t know how large the tunnels network is underground. i doubt any single person has this knowledge readily available except maybe the most senior officers of hamas. and even then there is a decent chance that they don’t have an entire picture, just pieces of it.
and how do you get rid of the subsoil without the israelis not noticing.?
that’s bibi’s basement assholes
1. why are we talking about tunnels as if those are unheard of?
2. as if zionists don’t have any bunkers…????? but hey fuking big news hamas made some tunnles…
3. zionists have military sites right next to civilian areas… nothing new and people call them out for years. i don’t get why people talk about these small tunnels so much.
a military tunnel? with decorator tiled walls, electric sockets on the walls and an articulated tv bracket? oh, please!
tunnelz oy vey i tell you. tunnels. the jews in jew york city loves tunnels tho