The Israeli military claims to have found and destroyed a strategically important tunnel belonging to the Hamas terrorist militia. The army announced this evening that the facility, several hundred meters long, linked the north and south of the Gaza Strip. At a depth of nine meters, it ran beneath the Wadi Gaza, the riverbed that separates northern and southern Gaza.
With the help of the tunnel, Hamas fighters were able to move undetected between the northern and southern parts of the coastal strip, the statement continued. Armed forces engineer units blew up the installations. Israeli soldiers took up positions along Wadi Gaza weeks ago to prevent Hamas fighters from passing overland between the two parts of the area.
Report: Tunnel network likely larger than expected
Hamas' network of tunnels – colloquially known as the “Gaza Metro” – poses a huge challenge to the Israeli military. The military has been trying to destroy its military infrastructure since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, which left 1,200 dead. The aim is also to capture or kill Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip.
According to military estimates, the tunnels cross the Gaza Strip for hundreds of kilometers. Most of the more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas are believed to be in the underground passages. The head of Hamas in Gaza, Jahja Sinwar, and his top commanders were also said to be hiding in the southernmost tunnels of Wadi Gaza, in the area of the city of Khan Yunis.
Thousands of axes
According to a US media report, the Islamic Hamas tunnel network in the Gaza Strip may be much larger than Israel previously assumed. It is estimated to be between 560 and 720 kilometers long, the New York Times reported, citing senior Israeli defense officials. According to the report, back in December, Israeli estimates assumed that the tunnel system under Palestinian territory was around 400 kilometers long.
The Gaza Strip itself is around 45 kilometers long and between six and 14 kilometers wide. The length, depth and quality of the tunnels surprised Israeli soldiers and government officials, the New York Times report continued. There are also around 5,700 separate shafts that lead to underground passages.