London, United Kingdom (CNN) – The Israeli army claimed to have discovered “Hamas’s largest tunnel” in Gaza, extending four kilometers (about 2.5 miles) in length.
The IDF said the tunnel, which was secured “a few weeks ago” but revealed to the public on Sunday, is wide enough to drive a large vehicle through, reaches 50 meters (more than 160 feet) underground and is equipped with electricity, ventilation and communications systems.
The tunnel does not cross into Israel, but ends 400 meters before the now-closed Erez crossing on the northern border between Israel and Gaza, according to the Israeli army.
The Israeli military said the tunnel is part of Hamas’ “strategic infrastructure” and will be destroyed.
In a video shared by the Israeli army, it claimed that the tunnel was created for Hamas troop movements and as a starting point for attacks.
Footage shared by the Israeli military, allegedly filmed by Hamas to show the construction of the tunnel, shows a large vehicle entering the tunnel and a makeshift railway line inside.
CNN was unable to independently verify the footage or the IDF’s claims.
In a statement on Sunday, the Israeli army claimed that the tunnel system was a project of Muhammad Sinwar, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The IDF provided no evidence to support this claim.
What you should know about the Gaza tunnels: The countless tunnels under Gaza are known as corridors used to smuggle goods from Egypt and launch attacks into Israel.
The vast maze of tunnels, colloquially referred to as the “Gaza Metro,” is also used to transport people and goods, store missiles and ammunition caches, and house Hamas’ command and control centers — all far from the prying eyes of Israeli military planes and surveillance drones.
Hamas claimed in 2021 to have built 500 kilometers (311 miles) of tunnels under Gaza, although it is unclear whether this figure is accurate or simply a lie. If true, Hamas’s underground tunnels would be just under half the length of New York City’s subway system.
During its assault on the Strip, the Israeli military claimed to have uncovered “hundreds of terrorist tunnel corridors throughout the Gaza Strip,” saying it was working “to identify and destroy dozens of attack tunnel routes.”
Recently, the Israeli military has been testing ways to flood Hamas tunnels.
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2023-12-17 17:17:48
