Israeli officials say IDF found a miles long Hamas tunnel on the border of Israel and Gaza large enough to facilitate a large scale attack.

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Lauren Taylor Reporter

International

‘Underground city of terror’: IDF says it found ‘biggest Hamas tunnel’ yet

Dec 18, 2023

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Alex Peebles (Producer), Zachary Hill (Editor)

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Lying underneath the streets of Gaza and less than 500 yards from what was the busy Erez crossing on the border of Israel is what is being called the largest Hamas tunnel found in Gaza yet. Israeli officials announced they discovered the large tunnel on Sunday, Dec. 17.

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the tunnel is part of a system called an “underground terror city.”

The miles-long Hamas tunnel is large enough for vehicles to drive through it. According to the IDF, the tunnel — which ends near an Israeli military base — was designed for a large-scale attack, but Israeli defenses did not find the tunnel until this weekend.

For Hamas, attacking the people of Israel continues to take priority over supporting the people of Gaza.
IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht

Giving reporters an exclusive look inside the tunnel, the IDF said Hamas may have used part of it to facilitate supplies, personnel and vehicles in its Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel. However, the Israeli military believes the portion leading to the border and a military base was intended to be used in a later attack.

The concrete and reinforced steel tunnel spans 2 1⁄2 miles straight into a spiderweb system of tunnels splintering off underneath Gazan schools, hospitals and other sensitive sites.

A military spokesman said that the tunnel likely took years, cost millions to build and has been used by Hamas during the war.

“Hamas has persistently and deliberately invested enormous amounts of money and resources into terrorist tunnels that serve only one purpose — attacking the State of Israel and its residents,” said IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht. “This strategic attack tunnel network, large enough to drive vehicles through, was spearheaded by Muhammad Sinwar and intentionally dug near a crossing dedicated to the movement of Gazans into Israel for work and medical care. For Hamas, attacking the people of Israel continues to take priority over supporting the people of Gaza.”

The chief IDF spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, added that Israeli soldiers will push through the tunnels to uproot the terror group and save hostages believed to be somewhere in the network of tunnels.

“We will hunt them even if we need to go down to the tunnels,” Hagari said. “We also need to do it with attention to the rescue of our hostages and the understanding that maybe some of them are in the tunnels.”

The discovery of the tunnel comes as pressure for another cease-fire mounts, along with criticism of Israel’s use of force and near-constant bombardment of Gaza. It also comes as the IDF announced its soldiers accidentally killed three hostages trying to identify themselves on Friday, Dec. 15.

More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.

Tags: Gaza, Hamas, hostage, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Military Defense

[Lauren Taylor]
“THIS THING IS ACTUALLY LARGE ENOUGH FOR A CAR TO DRIVE THROUGH.”

LYING UNDERNEATH THE STREETS OF GAZA AND LESS THAN 5-HUNDRED YARDS FROM WHAT WAS THE HEAVILY TRAFFICKED EREZ CROSSING ON THE BORDER WITH ISRAEL IS WHAT IS BEING CALLED THE LARGEST TUNNEL FOUND YET IN GAZA.

PART OF A SYSTEM THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES CALL AN “UNDERGROUND CITY OF TERROR” – THE MILES LONG HAMAS TUNNEL IS LARGE ENOUGH FOR VEHICLES TO DRIVE THROUGH IT. IDF OFFICIALS SAY THE TUNNEL, WHICH ENDS NEAR AN ISRAELI MILITARY BASE, WAS DESIGNED FOR A LARGE SCALE ATTACK.

BUT THE TUNNEL WAS NOT FOUND BY ISRAELI DEFENSES UNTIL THIS WEEKEND.

GIVING REPORTERS AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK INSIDE THE TUNNEL – IDF SAID HAMAS MAY HAVE USED PART OF IT TO FACILITATE SUPPLIES, PERSONNEL AND VEHICLES IN ITS OCTOBER 7TH TERROR ATTACK ON ISRAEL. THOUGH THEY BELIEVE THE PORTION LEADING TO THE BORDER AND A MILITARY BASE WERE INTENDED TO BE USED IN A LATER ATTACK.

[Paul Nuki – Telegraph Global Health Security Senior Editor]
“WE ARE QUITE DEEP NOW INSIDE THE TUNNEL, MAYBE 20 METERS FORM THE ENTRANCE, SWELTERING HOT, AND IT DOESN’T FEEL PARTICULARLY SAFE.”

[Lauren Taylor]

THE TUNNEL ITSELF MADE OF CONCRETE AND REINFORCED STEEL SPANS MORE THAN 2 MILES STRAIGHT INTO A SPIDER-WEB SYSTEM OF TUNNELS SPLINTERING OFF, UNDERNEATH GAZAN SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER SENSITIVE SITES.

A MILITARY SPOKESMAN SAYING THAT THE TUNNEL LIKELY TOOK YEARS AND COST MILLIONS TO BUILD AND HAS BEEN USED BY HAMAS DURING THE WAR.

ADDING THAT ISRAELI SOLDIERS WILL PUSH THROUGH THE TUNNELS TO UP-ROOT THE TERROR GROUP AND SAVE HOSTAGES BELIEVED TO BE SOMEWHERE IN THE NETWORK OF TUNNELS.

[Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari – IDF spokesperson]
“WE WILL HUNT THEM EVEN IF WE NEED TO GO DOWN TO THE TUNNELS. WE ALSO NEED TO DO IT WITH ATTENTION TO THE RESCUE OF OUR HOSTAGES AND THE UNDERSTANDING THAT MAYBE SOME OF THEM ARE IN THE TUNNELS.”

[Lauren Taylor]

DISCOVERY OF THE TUNNEL COMES AS PRESSURE FOR ANOTHER CEASE-FIRE MOUNTS – ALONG WITH CRITICISM OF ISRAEL’S USE OF FORCE AND NEAR CONSTANT BOMBARDMENT OF GAZA.

IT ALSO COMES AS THE I-D-F ANNOUNCES ITS SOLDIERS ACCIDENTALLY KILLED THREE HOSTAGES TRYING TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES ON FRIDAY. MORE THAN 100 HOSTAGES ARE STILL BELIEVED TO BE HELD BY HAMAS IN GAZA.