The Israeli military on Sunday discovered a large tunnel shaft in Gaza close to what was once a busy crossing into Israel, which the IDF claimed that even a four-wheeler could pass through it. The entryway to the tunnel is just a few hundred metres from the heavily fortified Erez crossing and a nearby Israeli military base. The military said that it stretches for more than four kilometres, links up with a sprawling tunnel network across Gaza and is wide enough for cars to pass through. The army said on Sunday that the tunnel facilitated the transit of vehicles, militants and supplies in preparation for the October 7 attack.
Hamas militants used this tunnel on October 7
That day, militants used a rocket-propelled grenade to break past the portion of the wall close to the Erez crossing and stormed the base, killing at least three soldiers and kidnapping some back to Gaza, the army said. It was one of several places along the border wall where militants easily blew past Israel's security defences, entered Israeli territory killed around 1,200 people and took about 240 others hostage.
The unprecedented attack triggered a devastating war that has raged for more than 10 weeks and claimed more than 18,000 lives in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel says the destruction of Hamas' tunnel network is a major objective and that much of the underground network runs beneath schools, hospitals and residential areas.
Israel's military, intelligence and political officials have come under heavy criticism for failing to detect the attack ahead of time. Major Nir Dinar, a military spokesperson, said that Israeli security services didn't know about the tunnel before October 7 because Israel's border defences only detected tunnels meant to enter Israel.
“As far as I know, this tunnel doesn't cross from Gaza into Israel and stops within 400 metres from the border, which means the indicators won't indicate that a tunnel is being built,” Dinar said.
He added that the entrance, a circular cement opening leading to a cavernous passageway, was located under a garage, hiding it from Israeli drones and satellite images.
"Shocking"
While the military was aware that Hamas had an extensive tunnel network, Dinar said they didn't think the militants would be able to carry out their plans for a large-scale attack.
“It's no surprise that this was the Hamas strategy all along,” Dinar said. "The surprise is that they have succeeded and the size of this tunnel … was really shocking.”
The Erez crossing, a fortress-like facility that processed the movement of Palestinians into Israel for work, medical care and transit to neighbouring Jordan, held great symbolic value for Hamas. The massive crossing was protected by security cameras military patrols and the adjacent military base. The crossing suffered heavy damage on October 7 and hasn't reopened.
The army said its special “Yahalom” unit, which specializes in tunnel warfare, has worked to excavate the tunnel since it was first detected. They say they've found weapons inside. "At this point, this is the biggest tunnel in Gaza," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, told reporters in a tour of the tunnel's entrance on Friday.
(With inputs from agency)
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