Israeli forces engaged in war against Hamas revealed the discovery of an extensive tunnel made of concrete and iron reinforcements, intended to transport militant fighters by car from Gaza directly to the border. A primary objective of Israel’s offensive, initiated following a series of killings and abductions by Hamas gunmen on October 7, involves dismantling or rendering inoperable hundreds of kilometers of subterranean passages and bunkers.
During the aforementioned attack, Hamas seized control of the Erez border crossing between Gaza and Israel. Merely 100 meters south of the checkpoint, camouflaged within a sand dune, the military presented to reporters the exit point of what it described as a significant Hamas project.
Described as “the largest tunnel discovered in Gaza”, Hagari highlighted its intended purpose to target the Erez crossing, although clarification on whether it facilitated the October 7 attack by Hamas was not provided. Hagari emphasized the substantial investment of millions of dollars and several years in constructing the tunnel, designed to accommodate vehicular passage.
Integrated into an extensive network?
Typically, tunnels showcased by either Hamas or the Israeli military upon discovery have been narrow and restricted, tailored for single-file movement of armed individuals on foot. The tunnel disclosed by Hagari displayed vertical shafts, hinting at its integration into a more extensive network.
These tunnels have posed a challenge for Israeli engineers, fearing that they could conceal hostages held by Hamas, thereby impeding the offensive and drawing global concern due to the high toll on Palestinian civilians.
Hagari presented a video featuring Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and a senior operative within the group, purportedly inside the tunnel in a vehicle. Reports from Israel’s Ynet news site on October 29 indicated troops had killed several attackers accessing Erez through a tunnel, though Hagari’s office did not confirm this incident in relation to the showcased tunnel.
(With inputs from Reuters)