The underground structure is large enough for small vehicles to pass through.
The Israeli army claims to have discovered during of its offensive in the Gaza Strip, the largest tunnel that Hamas has dug is more than 4 km long. This underground structure is located just a few hundred meters from Israeli territory. The IDF said the tunnel is made of reinforced concrete and even small vehicles can pass through it.
The Times of Israel reports this.
An AFP photographer who was allowed into this underground “subway” by Israeli soldiers confirmed that the tunnel is indeed large enough for small vehicles to pass through.
< p>“This huge network of tunnels, divided into several branches, stretches for more than four kilometers and is located 400 meters from the Erez crossing between Israel and the northern part of the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military said on Sunday, December 17, on the X.~60 network. ~/p>
Israeli forces say the tunnel cost millions of euros and was built over years under the direction of Mohammed Sinwar, brother of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader.
The tunnel is equipped with a system of pipes, electricity, ventilation, sewerage, communication networks and rails. Its floor is made of compacted earth, and its walls are made of reinforced concrete, except for the hole, reinforced by a metal cylinder with a diameter of about one and a half centimeters.
The Israeli military claims to have discovered a large quantity of weapons ready to be used in the event of a Hamas attack.
“Hamas has continually and deliberately poured vast amounts of money and resources into terrorist tunnels that have one goal: to enable attacks on the State of Israel and its residents. This strategic network of attack tunnels (…) was deliberately dug near a crossing point allowing Gazan residents to travel to Israel for work and for medical care,” said Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman.
What is known about Hamas underground tunnels
The labyrinth of tunnels, nicknamed the “Gaza Metro” by the Israeli military, was first used to circumvent the blockade imposed by Israel after Hamas seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007.
Hundreds of tunnels are dug under the Egyptian Sinai border to transport people, goods, weapons and ammunition between Gaza and the outside world.
In a study published on October 17, the Institute of Modern Warfare at the American military academy West Point mentions 1,300 galleries over 500 kilometers away.
In early December, the Israeli military said it had discovered more than 800 tunnels, 500 of which had been destroyed.
Recall that earlier Israeli troops mistakenly identified as a threat three hostages who escaped from Hamas captivity and opened fire on them, killing them during the fighting in Gaza.
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