Gaza: IDF Uncovers Hamas Tunnel Network “Wide Enough for Vehicles to Pass Through” Near Israel Border
“This subterranean tunnel system was a project led by Muhammad Sinwar, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.”
The Israeli military has uncovered Hamas’s biggest terror tunnel system since the ground operation began almost seven weeks ago. The underground terrorist network, built using tunnel boring machines, is large enough for vehicles to pass through, the Israel Defense Forces disclosed on Sunday.
This deep and massive tunnels located in northern Gaza reached close to the Israeli border. “This massive tunnel system, splits into branches of tunnels, spans well over four kilometers (2.5 miles) and reaches only 400 meters (1,310 feet) from the Erez crossing,” the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS reported. “This subterranean tunnel system was a project led by Muhammad Sinwar, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.”
EXPOSED: The biggest Hamas terrorist tunnel discovered.
This massive tunnel system branches out and spans well over four kilometers (2.5 miles). Its entrance is located only 400 meters (1,310 feet) from the Erez Crossing—used by Gazans on a daily basis to enter Israel for work… pic.twitter.com/RcjK5LbvGL
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 17, 2023
The IDF on Sunday revealed its recent successes in dismantling Hamas’s vast terror tunnel network:
To date, the IDF has exposed hundreds of terror tunnel shafts throughout the Gaza Strip. Many are built from reinforced concrete and are equipped with electricity, ventilation, sewage, communication networks and rails, like the one we are exposing. Over the past 70 days, the IDF has exposed multiple examples where these tunnels were built under hospitals, schools, kindergartens and other sensitive sites. The IDF continues to use advanced operational, intelligence and technological means to eliminate Hamas’ network of terror tunnels across the Gaza Strip.
The ground forces, using operational field intelligence, have provided a lot of information about Hamas’ terror tunnels project, and have helped to advance both our knowledge and our maps of the tunnels. From the beginning of the war till now, the IDF has been operating to locate and destroy dozens of attack tunnel routes, as part of the systematic dismantling of Hamas infrastructure.
This #Hamas strategic tunnel @IDF revealed today, built for terrorism, at the expense of the people of Gaza. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/HwxY1dw4Qf
— Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) December 17, 2023
Since IDF entered terrorist-controlled Gaza in late October, Israeli combat engineers have located and destroyed hundreds of tunnel shafts leading to Hamas’s underground system of tunnels and bunkers for hoarding weapons and hiding terrorist fighters. “Over 800 tunnel shafts have been discovered in Gaza since Israel’s ground invasion against Hamas began, of which, 500 have been destroyed,” the Jerusalem Post reported early December citing IDF sources. Many of these terror tunnels open into hospitals, schools, civilian homes and mosques.
Muhammed Sinwar, brother of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, travels through the large tunnel system exposed by the IDF earlier today. pic.twitter.com/b6qUtkpj2g
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) December 17, 2023
IDF takes on southern Hamas stronghold of Khan Younis
After flushing out Hamas jihadis from key strongholds in northern Gaza, the Israeli ground troops are close to taking the southern terrorist bastion of Khan Younis. Hamas’s Gaza chief, Yahya Sinwar, and many of the top terror operatives are believed to be hiding in Khan Younis.
Troops of the 7th Armored Brigade have raided the offices of the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis battalion and the holiday homes of several senior Hamas commanders, including the terror group’s Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, the IDF says.
The commander of the 7th Armored Brigade,… pic.twitter.com/1RL7JbY5JQ
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) December 17, 2023
The Israeli news website Ynet reported:
IDF forces advanced into the Khan Younis region on Sunday, conducted a raid on the office of the Khan Younis Brigade commander, targeted terrorist infrastructure and subterranean tunnels, and ultimately secured control of Bani Suheila Square at the heart of Khan Younis.
“In the past week, 7th Brigade troops eliminated numerous terrorists, located approximately 30 tunnel shafts and destroyed numerous anti-tank and lookout posts in the area. They also confiscated grenades and anti-tank missiles and found intelligence materials including phones, computers and Hamas guidebooks,” the military said in a statement.
“The soldiers also conducted a targeted raid on Hamas’ Deir Al Balah Battalion post and seized intelligence materials. The forces also operated against the residence of a Nukhba terrorist, where they found weapons and equipment belonging to Hamas’ naval forces.”
The force has been engaged in combat since the war’s onset, successfully gaining control of large swaths of northern Gaza before moving to the southern region.
“We raided a Hamas military compound and found valuable intelligence material in the office of the Khan Younis Brigade commander,” the 7th Brigade commander said.
Biden WH pressures Israel to scale down Gaza operation
As IDF tightens its noose around Gaza-based Hamas leaders and terrorist perpetrators of the October 7 massacre, the Biden White House is pressuring Israel to wrap up the ground offensive and limit future military operations to targeted strikes. Biden’s strategy, if forced on Israel, will keep Hamas in power and its terror fighters and terrorist infrastructure intact.
The British newspaper Telegraph reported Sunday:
The United States will push Israel to carry out smaller, more focused raids in the next phase of the war.
Lloyd Austin, the US Defence Secretary, is expected to put pressure on Israeli leaders to end the war’s most intense phase and adopt a more targeted strategy against Hamas during a visit to Israel on Monday.
US officials told the New York Times they would want Israel to conduct smaller, strategic raids using elite troops, and deploy more precise missions to destroy Hamas leaders and rescue hostages in the next phase.
Mr Austin will meet Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, to discuss their vision and stress the importance of civilian safety.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Finish the job, IDF!
FJB!
Finishing the job should include all those who approve of Hamas, or any other terrorist organization in ALL of Palestine.
JohnSmith100 wrote: “Finishing the job should include all those who approve of Hamas.”
You are utterly INSANE. The latest polls show that 42% of Palestinians in Gaza approve of Hamas. 2 million Palestinians live in Gaza, so 42% is 840,000 dead Palestinians. 44% of Palestinians in the West Bank (Samaria and Judea) approve of Hamas, 3 million Palestinians live in Samaria/Judea, so 44% is 1,320,000 dead Palestinians. So what you are advocating is the slaughter of two million, one hundred and sixty thousand Palestinians (2,160,000). Can you imagine the backlash against Israel if she decided to kill 2,160,000 Palestinians? You are certifiably insane, and you are obviously an enemy of Israel for advocating this on a public forum.
The number I saw for Gaza was 75%. After seeing what they did to babies, children, women and men, I cannot think of ay punishment severe enough to to pay them back. I also know that if they are allows to return to producing more terrorists, that the problem will continue. Their history is clear. Rabid animals.
There are no Palestinians, just Arabs in Palestine who should not be there.
Finally you are starting to comprehend the error of their ways. Now think about all the crap they pull and trouble they cause, and consider a coalition forming to address this.
Calm down, JR. It isn’t 42%, it’s 42% at the moment the Gazans are getting their teeth kicked in. Prior to 10/7 it was about 80%. Remember, the Gazans voted for all this back when Israel left Gaza to the Palestinians. No complaining now.
But no, we would not want the Israelis to kill 800K Gazans. But the Gazans need to get the message, just as the Germans and Japanese did at the end of WWII — they’re beat, they’re done, and they can’t go back to the old ways. They can surrender and agree that their own society can’t be reconstituted. They can atone and then work on something new. Those who can’t abide that can leave (I hear Iran is nice), or they can die. Yes, die.
But they can’t be allowed to go back to intifada and killing Jews. No more of that.
OR — hear me out — the Gazans could turn against Hamas and dedicate themselves to living in peace with their neighbors.
Or, they could try to force their way into Egypt if they don’t like the IDF campaign. I’m sure the “millions of bodies” the Egyptian president swore to pile up to keep Gazans out of Egypt wouldn’t all be Palestinians.
JR, it is interesting that you have shown no sympathy for Jews, how about yo express your regret for Gazan’s actions? None, then there should be none for what is happening to them now. And while we considering this, none for the rest of them worldwide.
How about this:
As IDF continues its clearing / tunnel identification / etc. across all of Gaza, ANY structure or organization shown to have been connected / associated with Hamas’ military operations is documented to be such (i.e., a legitimate military target), and then completely destroyed.
School with a tunnel shaft and arms cache? Hamas has made it a military target. Level it.
Mosque with military training facility and rocket launching port? Level it.
High rise residential structure with munitions manufacturing site and tunnel access? Yes Rico, kaboom.
House of UNRWA employee who held hostage in his attic? Bulldoze it (and the employee becomes a permanent target for Mossad).
UNRWA providing logistic and other assistance to Hamas, with knowledge of what it was up to (already extensively documented)? Bar UNRWA personnel from entering Gaza, West Bank, or Israel (and they should count themselves lucky not to be designated to be combatants).
Construction company shown to have been connected with providing materials / services to Hamas for the tunnel network? Military target, so level the building and destroy all associated equipment.
House with rockets hidden under children’s beds, and Hamas training materials? Level it.
Would this mean Carthage 146 BC levels of destruction across much of Gaza, including the obliteration of much of Gaza City? Yes it would. But if Hamas insists of making otherwise protected civilian locations into legitimate military targets by using them for military purposes (conduct banned by the Geneva Convention, btw), then they and their supporters have no complaint if Israel treats them as such.
And it would send an indelible message to all the Palis: FAFO. Enjoy living in the ashes.
And they should ensure they actually live in the ashes by preventing all future aid – especially through the UN. The responsibility for that lies upon the Gazans, not upon Israel.
So what you are advocating is the slaughter of two million, one hundred and sixty thousand Palestinians (2,160,000).
Your point being what? That if the enemy is large enough you should lay down and die?
You sound a lot like some of the Israelites in the Bible. Not the ones God commended.
If we didn’t have Fat Man and Little Boy, do you know what the alternative plan was for Japan? Invasion. Operation Downfall. Estimates for US Casualties ranged from 500k to 1 million. They ordered 500k Purple Heart medals – as of 2023, we still have 120k left.
The estimates for Japanese civilian casualties was 2/3, based on civilian casualties in Okinawa.
It sucks, but in war, people die. If we apply the Japanese civilian casualty estimates to Gaza, that’s about 1.2-1.3 million Gazans. I can imagine the backlash from the intellectual & media circles, sure. They have been anti-American since the early 1900’s. I can also imagine it from the youth who are too stupid to think it through. Then there’s the anti-Jew population who advocate for Israel to cease to exist. The rest of us will mourn the fact the people can be so misled when they’ve been brainwashed after having been cut loose from the moral underpinnings that used to guide this nation.
“approving”hamas when living in Gaza is about the same thing as “approving” of Hitler was in Nazi Germany back then.
IDF are using the best option, that of systematically locating and destroying the infrastructure of hamas in Gaza, and taking captive large numbers of their fighting forces. As IDF continue their march to locate and destroy the complex infrastructure there in Gaza, the “authority” of hamas will begin to seriously wane.
After a decade or two of hamas terrorist tyranny, the commoners in Gaza have had almost all hope of a decent life driven out of them. No real future for any of them, hand to mouth,, shortages, no work, little food ’cause hamas get it all.
As IDF continue to clip the wings of hamas that bird will quickly lose its appeal. I would not be surprised if we begin to see locals begin to quietly at first, and in small numbers, then increasingly stand up to ferret out hamas operatives, strongholds, caches of weapons and other materiel. Once gazans are convinced Israel are there for the long haul, intend ti clear hamas out completely, and let Gaza become a decent place to live, IDF and Israel will gain a LOT of support from Gazans. This will help massively in cleaning out the sewage of hamas in Gaza, and most likely weaken the organisation throughout its present spread.
Harvard-Harris poll shows that Americans are behind the Israelis.
https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/HHP_Dec23_KeyResults.pdf
Even so, 51% of Gen Z polled was for Hamas. (See Page 69)
That’s why Maher’s video the other night should be required for every ignorant chanter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP-CRXROorw
Not to mention this about how “indiscriminate” Israel is with civilian life.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/amid-outcry-civilian-casualties-gaza-experts-note-israels/story?id=105673488
Imagine what all that concrete could have been used for. Look how Hamas and the PA have robbed the people with the vendetta and flase promises. Cowering from the truth must end, and the haters exposed for spreading poison among the uniformed.
How does Hamas dig tunnels, spend two years planning an attack and carry out the attack and Israel is oblivious?
At the slightest hint of a leak, they murder suspected sources.
The IDF surveillance team located near the Gaza border reported the activity and warned their superiors. They were ignored. The 27 unarmed IDF women on this team were all killed or taken hostage on Oct 7.
“built using tunnel boring machines”
Not known for being subtle,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674775522000749
What’s the range on those vibrations? Can they be detected from a few kilometers away?
How did Hamas spend two years digging out those tunnels and planning and attack and none of those “innocent Gazan civilians” said anything?
That is a question that will plague Israel and requires an investigation.
Where is my comment at 2:23 p.m., and why can I see it, but it does not seem to appear for anyone else. Explanation please.
You have been censored. Before posting look at the number of posts, after you comment look at that number again, if it increases by one, then it was not censored, if the number stays the same you are either on moderation or outright censored.
It was a totally normal comment about the Harvard-Harris poll, Bill Mahrer, and the issue of “indiscriminate” treatment of civilians.
Would greatly appreciate an explanation from the censor.
Your comment went to automatic moderation because of the number of outside links. We have many filtering mechanisms that execute automatically to prevent abuse (e.g. spamming the comment section) until someone can review the comment. Because we are so short staffed, a comment in moderation can sit for a while before it is cleared.
Thanks for saying. Been scratching my head. It was natural to use the links, but next time will be more discreet.
Diagnosis: Hamas tunnel syndrome requires immediate IDF surgery to cut off extremity from palestinian body. Regular checkups recommended to ensure it doesn’t grow back.
I don’t recall who first made the suggestion about flooding with salt water, but that was a great idea, Salt destroys concrete. It will reduce concrete to powder and aggregate. I do think that a flammable gas detonated above the water would give those terrorists a fitting end, and then finishing filling those tunnels.
I think the Israelis should flood the tunnels then drop 500kg bombs with timed fuses into each one. The water will carry the shockwave of the explosion very, very well and shatter and collapse the tunnels.
I doubt it was me being the first, but a long time ago I suggested pumping a seawater slurry of sand. That would render the tunnels useless and difficult to unearth. But I had another thought, that being that IDF could assemble out of terrorists, the longest chain gang in the world and march them into their biggest tunnel. Then fill it with that sand slurry up to their necks, release 10,000 rats imported from under New York City and seal the exits.
They already started flooding tunnels with sea water, something over a week ago.
It will take a while, won’t get to all the tunnels, etc. BUT it’ll make a mess. And best of all, the water will find tunnels n etc. the Isreali’s haven’t located yet.
Myself I’m for adding dye, or RFID confetti — get ping-backs from where the water was, and trace what it found.
It was a mistake to leave these Hamas trolls free to roam in Gaza and it would be national suicide to leave the remaining population free to choose more terrorists animals to continue the digging in the future.
The biggest thing Israeli PR needs to do, is allow people to understand there are no good options here.
Israeli actions are constantly compared to an imagined perfect alternative that’s never explored. Leave Hamas intact? How many more dead is that, in and out of Gaza. Etc.
Austin is full of shit, the only real civilians are small children, the rest are complicit to varying degrees in terror because adults have brainwashed them, The war should continue at maximum pressure until Pale’s belligerence has been completely replaced with abject terror and sorrow.
Indeed, Hamas was popularly elected by, and, perennially supported by, a vast majority of the “Palestinian” populace. Many of whom gleefully took part in, or, openly celebrated, the sadistic murders, rapes and atrocities of 10/7.
The vile, European dhimmis and American Dhimmi-crats are contemptibly unable to acknowledge these basic facts, in their dishonest attempts to create daylight between “Palestinian” civilians, and, Hamas’s card-carrying terrorist thugs.
The Gazan “Palestinian” populace, I should clarify, is what I discuss, above.
I’d like to see an accounting of exactly how much international aid money the Muslim supremacist/terrorist/Islamofascist thugs of Hamas have embezzled and squandered on weapons and war materiel, instead of building infrastructure and investing for the betterment of Arab Muslim “Paleistinians’ ” lives. No sane and rational person doubts that Gaza could be an economically prosperous territory, brimming with tourism and resorts, if the “Palestinians” had ever been serious about rejecting their supremacist, totalitarian, belligerent and hate-filled ideology.
Not that the vile, European dhimmis and American Dhimmi-crats will ever hold these reprobates to account, on that or any other score.
Tens, if not hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign aid has flowed in to the personal accounts of Hamas leadership. What has that bought for every day Gaza’s? Nothing but misery but then again it does seem as if Gazand revel in misery? 🤷♂️
“I’d like to see an accounting…”
Start with the hotel bills. Luxury suites in Quatar ain’t cheap.
I hope they have located the tunneling machine and destroyed it and anyone associated with it.
I thought that was the one that got sent to Seattle tto dig the tunnel the waterfront parpway… the one where it got bogged down in the ancient dredging spoils….. I heard they got a great deal on it……..
And, I’ll say again — the vile Dhimmi-crats’ putting pressure on Israel and micro-managing and hindering their war efforts, in an utterly misguided attempt to pander to and kowtow to American Muslims and foreign Muslims, is more than misguided and offensive — it’s a display of fecklessness and evil.
Israel’s war campaign to eliminate the Muslim supremacist, terrorist and Islamofascist genocidal fanatics of Hamas and their ilk, is as morally righteous and justified a military campaign as ever existed.
Oh crud. Everything I wrote here before disappeared. Trying again, An interesting fact is that all of Gaza is about the same area [141 sq. miles] as the City and County of Denver [155 sq. miles minus suburbs] and is much more compact than Denver. Gaza is a lot flatter with its high point being only 344 feet above sea level, and that high point may not be in the paths I propose.
There is construction machinery that digs not just ditches but canals.
[from theconstructor.org]
“There are different types of excavation machines for digging canals such as bucket wheel excavator (as shown in Figure 4) and hinge bucket chain trimmer. The former can be used to excavate canals with up to 9m top breadth. The latter can dig canals with up to 25m top widths.”
I submit that Israel should acquire some of these and dig not just ditches for pipes from the sea to flood tunnels as now, but actual seawater canals across Gaza from the Mediterranean to the opposite Israeli border cutting into discovered tunnel complexes, especially like the one reported above. With unlimited sea water flowing constantly, the tunnels will be flooded rapidly and will eventually collapse completely.
There are decisions that will have to be made, including hostages. I submit that I personally believe that they are likely already tortured to death. And I note that this is a state of war. In WW-II the Philippines were US territory and its people were US citizens. That did not stop or limit our making war on Japan there. But that has to be an Israeli decision. And there are other decisions involved that Israel will have to make. Israel has to do what Israel has to do.
Subotai Bahadur
Maybe they can repurpose Hamas’s tunneling machine for your idea. And maybe Israel can use captured munitions on Hamas?
I’ve thought in the past that the Israelis might be best served by digging a very, very deep and wide moat around Gaza. Your canal idea fits with that. The moat would have to be at least a hundred feet deep and 300 hundred feet wide, so that’s a lot of earth to move. Might be worth it long-term.
Very, very briefly there was a study by the US government on digging an alternative to the Suez Canal through what’s now Gaza and the Sinai. With nukes.
Just sayin’.
While the idea of certain trash being disposed in that way is appealing, I would be concerned about the impact on innocent Jews. Residual radiation, EMP, etc. On the other hand, a canal would be a great profit center.
How about moving antisocial homicidal people from Palestine and elsewhere to desert areas isolated enough that they could not escape?
senseless overkill. No need for that big a barrier. An hundred feet deep? In seawater flooded sand? Not gonna happen.
As IDF continue to locate and destroy the existing tunnel system of hamas the non-aggressive locals will catch on. They will begin to quietly rat out hamas operatives, and at an increasing rate. Once they “get wind” that real change is coming, that their years of misery, fear, poverty, are coming to an end, they will turn to and rise to help Israel in the cleanup. Gazans will soon enough realise on which side the bread the butter is spread. There will be an increase in Gaza’s ordinary folk realising this is an opportunity to end the tyranny to which they’ve been subject.
I though that Subotai was going for canals, til I read on. He’s still on conducting the current war, vs. what to do after.
The tactics fit very conveniently. First, canals to flood tunnels conducting the war. Then permanent border canals, making border management a bit less hard. Canals have interesting advantages for some bulk transport, even.
Might as well do it while they have the digging machinees there to do it with.
So where are the unconditional surrender words from the Palestinian Government and Hamas? Minus unconditional surrender the Israeli action is merely a police action.
Many of these terror tunnels open into hospitals, schools, civilian homes and mosques.
Which would indicate to me that these hospitals, schools and “civilian homes” and mosques have waived their right to non-combat status and should be fair game for the IDF to deal with as they see fit.
or maybe they had no way of resisting hamas as they brought in their toys and began digging and pouring concrete. If the tunnel machine was aimed in some direction and turned on, and it “happened” to go under a hospital, school, whatever, what could those running the facility DO? Stand in front if the infernal contraption and get chewed up and spit out?
Think post Bolshevik revolution situation. The government were so all powerful, all present, all knowing, all dominating, no one could effectively resist.. Having seen some of the reports of the 7 October events, I have no question whatever that hamas are cut of that same cloth.
High pressure water, and tracer dye.
Any place gets splattered with florescent green — They like green right? — Hamas was using as cover for their armed ops.