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Israel war 2023
Published January 11, 2024, 12:30 PM ET
The Israeli military provided a surprising glimpse into a key Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza on Thursday – after finding evidence that some of the terrorists' hostages were being held there in horrific conditions.
The tunnel was discovered by the Israel Defense Forces commando brigade and other special forces in Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza, which has seen heavy fighting in recent weeks.
“After examining the tunnel, it can be said that there were Israeli hostages inside,” the IDF said after DNA from some of the prisoners was found.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF's chief spokesman, did not say what exactly was found in the tunnel or what the DNA was found on.
He also did not identify the hostages found there or reveal whether they were still alive. He said only that the hostages were being held in “difficult conditions.”
A video tour uploaded to social media shows the extensive underground tunnel system, accessed via a ladder through an 8-foot-high shaft, located “in the heart of a civilian area” in Khan Younis.
The arched tunnel led to a long, dark stairwell connected to several corridors and underground rooms, one of which had trash and electrical wires strewn on the floor.
The IDF on Thursday discovered a Hamas tunnel system in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, where it said Israeli hostages were being held in harsh conditions. IDF
The tunnel system also had functioning plumbing, as evidenced by a small bathroom at the end of one of the hallways where the DNA samples were found.
The IDF added that the tunnel system was connected to various entrances in other civilian areas in Khan Younis, where hundreds of thousands of refugees have gathered following mass evacuations in the northern Gaza Strip early in the war.
One of the exits led to a residential complex that was largely destroyed by the fighting, another led to a civilian residential complex that was also in ruins.
The arched tunnel led to a long, dark stairwell that connected to several corridors and underground rooms. IDF The tunnel system had functioning sanitary facilities, as evidenced by a small bathroom at the end of one of the hallways. IDF
For the first time, Western media were also invited to visit the tunnel.
Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus, commander of the Israeli military's 98th Division, told CNN's Nic Robertson that the military has narrowed down the location of some hostages to tunnels under Khan Younis.
Goldfus said the goal was to destroy the artificial tunnel system to rescue the hostages and exploit Hamas' decisive advantage in the war in Gaza, describing the underground shafts as a “720-degree threat.”
In one room seen in the video, trash and electrical cords could be seen on the floor. IDF
“It’s not 360, it’s 720, underground and above ground,” Goldfus said of the tunnels’ coverage.
Division 98 troops continue to fight in other Hamas tunnel systems in Khan Younis, with members of the elite Yahalom Combat Engineering unit focused on finding, investigating and destroying the 300-mile-long “Gaza Metro.”
Israel also believes top Hamas leaders, including Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, are hiding in a tunnel under Khan Younis.
“After examining the tunnel, it can be said that there were Israeli hostages inside,” the IDF said after DNA from some of the prisoners was found. IDF
The Israeli military said more than 300 tunnel shafts have been located in recent days, with more than a third of the underground corridors now destroyed and out of use.
Despite the progress, the IDF has yet to find or free any of the more than 130 hostages still being held by Hamas and its allies.
According to Israel, around 20 of the hostages are considered dead. Israel accuses Hamas of not handing over the bodies for burial.
With post wires
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