‘7km long, 25m deep’: Israel reveals one of Gaza’s ‘largest and most complex’ tunnels; releases video

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Thursday released video footage of what it said is a major Hamas tunnel network in southern Gaza, where the body of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin was allegedly held in recent years before being returned last week.The IDF described the tunnel as “one of the most significant and complex” it has found in the Strip. According to the military, the system stretches more than seven kilometers, reaches a depth of about 25 meters, and includes around 80 separate rooms.The route runs beneath a densely populated residential area near the Philadelphi Corridor and extends under sensitive civilian spots such as a UNRWA compound, mosques, clinics, kindergartens and schools. “The route runs beneath a densely populated residential neighborhood near the Philadelphi Corridor and continues through sensitive civilian areas, including a UNRWA compound, mosques, clinics, kindergartens and schools,” the IDF said.The underground complex was uncovered during a Southern Command operation in southern Rafah, led by the Yahalom combat engineering unit along with naval commandos from Shayetet 13.Inside, the IDF said it found rooms where Hamas operatives lived for long periods, stored weapons, and planned attacks. Some rooms functioned as command posts for senior Hamas commanders, including Muhammad Shabana, the former Rafah Brigade commander who was killed in May alongside top Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar, according to the military.Earlier this month, Hamas said it had recovered Goldin’s body from a tunnel in Rafah, an area now under IDF control. Israeli forces had been searching the region for the soldier’s remains over the past year but did not have precise intelligence on his location.A day after the announcement, Hamas returned Goldin’s remains to Israel, more than 11 years after he was killed and abducted during the 2014 Gaza War.