2023-12-18 10:12:00
Israeli soldiers secure the opening of a tunnel near the border with Israel on December 15, 2023, in northern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces say it is the largest tunnel they have found so far in the enclave, with branches extending for more than four kilometers and reaching 400 meters from the Erez border crossing. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
The Israel Defense Forces say they discovered “the largest Hamas tunnel” in Gaza, measuring four kilometers in length.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the tunnel, secured “a few weeks ago” but revealed to the public this Sunday, is wide enough to pass through with a large vehicle, reaches up to 50 meters underground and is equipped with electricity. , ventilation and communication systems.
It does not cross Israel, but ends 400 meters before the now closed Erez border crossing on the northern border between Israel and Gaza, according to the IDF.
The tunnel is part of Hamas’ “strategic infrastructure” and will be destroyed, according to the IDF.
In a video shared by the IDF, the Israeli military claimed that the tunnel was created for the movements of Hamas fighters and as a launching point for attacks.
Footage shared by the IDF and supposedly filmed by Hamas to show the construction of the tunnel shows a large vehicle driving into the tunnel and a makeshift railway inside.
CNN might not independently verify the images or the IDF claims.
In a statement on Sunday, the IDF claimed that the tunnel system was a project by the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad Sinwar. The IDF did not provide any evidence to support this claim.
What you need to know regarding the Gaza tunnels: The countless tunnels under Gaza are best known as passageways used to smuggle goods from Egypt and launch attacks once morest Israel.
Known colloquially as the “Gaza subway,” the vast labyrinth of tunnels is also used to transport people and goods, store rockets and ammunition depots, and house Hamas command and control centers, all away from the prying eyes of airplanes. and IDF surveillance drones.
In 2021, Hamas claimed to have built 500 kilometers (311 miles) worth of tunnels under Gaza, although it is unclear whether that figure was accurate or a pose. If true, Hamas’s underground tunnels would be just under half the length of New York’s subway network.
During its offensive into the territory, the IDF claims it has exposed “hundreds of terrorist tunnel shafts throughout Gaza” and says it is operating “to locate and destroy dozens of attack tunnel routes.”
Recently, it has tried methods to flood Hamas tunnels.
CNN’s Joshua Berlinger contributed to this report
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