Israel Identifies 50 Terror Tunnels Running Between Hamas-Controlled Rafah and Egypt
Israel tells UN-run international court: Cross-border tunnels could be “used to smuggle out of Gaza hostages, or Hamas senior operators.”
After close to two weeks of Rafah operation, the Israeli military has identified around 50 terror tunnels running between the Hamas-held stronghold and Egypt .
“Nearly 700 tunnel shafts have been identified in Rafah, from which approximately 50 tunnels cross into Egypt,” Israeli Justice Ministry official, Dr. Gilad Noam, told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday.
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IDF Troops Discover First Terror Tunnel in Rafah pic.twitter.com/BOwEFtrAY8
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) May 7, 2024
Jerusalem fears that these tunnels, currently funneling weapons from Egypt into Rafah, could be used to smuggle out hostages and top terrorists as the Israeli military advances on the last Hamas bastion in Gaza.
“These tunnels are used by Hamas to supply itself with weapons and ammunition and could potentially be used to smuggle out of Gaza hostages, or Hamas senior operators,” the Israeli official added.
The ICJ, The Hague-based United Nations court, is currently conducting hearing after South Africa approached the tribunal in a bid to stop Israel from carrying out a military operation against the terrorist group Hamas in Rafah. The UN-run court is also reviewing the outrageous charge of genocide brought forward by South Africa against Israel earlier this year.
The presence of cross-border tunnel network raise questions about Egypt’s role in the conflict raging since the October 7 massacre. This may explain Cairo’s recent move to officially back South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ. The fall of Hamas in Rafah could expose the vast tunnel network between terrorist-held Gaza and Egypt, a key recipient of U.S. military aid in the region.
The revelation highlights the need for a decisive Israeli operation in Rafah to cut off terrorist escape routes and destroy Hamas fighting force. Despite Biden adminstration’s pressure, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) captured the strategic Philadelphi Route separating Gaza from Egypt early in the operation and has been pushing towards the Rafah city center.
"Nearly 700 tunnel shafts have been identified in Rafah, from which approximately 50 tunnels cross into Egypt.
These tunnels are used by Hamas to supply itself with weapons and ammunition and could potentially be used to smuggle out of Gaza hostages or Hamas senior operatives."… pic.twitter.com/Q9rV4JuLu0
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) May 17, 2024
The Israeli news website YNET reported the latest revelations:
Israeli Justice Ministry official Gilad Noam called South Africa’s case, which accuses Israel of violating the Genocide Convention, “completely divorced from facts and circumstances”.
“(The case) makes a mockery of the heinous charge of genocide,” Noam said. “Israel is engaged in a war it did not want and did not start. it is under attack and is fighting to defend itself and its citizens.”
“Hamas has vowed to continue the atrocities of October 7 many times over. Rafah in particular is a focal point for ongoing terrorist activity. Nearly 700 tunnel shafts have been identified in Rafah, from which approximately 50 tunnels cross into Egypt. These tunnels are used by Hamas to supply itself with weapons and ammunition and could potentially be used to smuggle out of Gaza hostages, or Hamas senior operators,” Noam told the court. (…)
“South Africa has asked the court to order the cessation of military operation by Israel in its previous request. The court has not done so. The court is well aware that to do so would mean that 132 hostages would remain to languish in Hamas’ tunnels forsaken. It would mean that Hamas would be left unhindered and free to continue its attacks against Israeli territory and Israeli civilians. It would turn the Genocide Convention into a sword rather than a shield,” he added.
IDF recovers body of another hostage from Gaza
The IDF on Saturday announced the recovery of the body of another Israeli hostage murdered by Hamas. The military, assisted by the Isreali Security Agency (ISA} or Shin Bet, located the body of 62-year-old Ron Benjamin, who was kidnapped on October 7.
The recovered body is in addition to three others brought back by the IDF on Friday.
The IDF said this evening that “The body of the hostage Ron Benjamin was rescued during a joint IDF and ISA operation. Based on verified intelligence in our possession, Ron Benjamin was murdered during the October 7th Massacre at the Mefalsim Intersection, and his body was…
— Seth Frantzman (@sfrantzman) May 18, 2024
The military revealed the details of the recovery operation Saturday evening:
The IDF and ISA rescued the body of the hostage Ron Benjamin
The body of the hostage Ron Benjamin was rescued during a joint IDF and ISA operation.
Based on verified intelligence in our possession, Ron Benjamin was murdered during the October 7th Massacre at the Mefalsim Intersection, and his body was abducted to Gaza by Hamas terrorists.
His body was rescued along with the bodies of Yitzhak Gelernter, Shani Louk, and Amit Buskila during a joint IDF and ISA operation, based on precise ISA intelligence obtained during the interrogations of terrorists who were apprehended in the Gaza Strip, as well as intelligence from IDF Intelligence Directorate’s Headquarters for the Hostages and Missing Persons.
Following an identification procedure carried out by medical officials at the Israeli National Forensic Institute and the Israel Police, IDF representatives notified the family today. The IDF and ISA send their heartfelt condolences to the family.
The IDF and ISA continue, even at this time, to deploy all operational and intelligence means and to take operational risks in order to accomplish the supreme national task of bringing back all the hostages.
IDF continues operations in Rafah, north and central Gaza
Meanwhile, the IDF continued pounding Hamas positions in eastern Rafah. “IDF troops continue precise operations against terrorist operatives and infrastructure in eastern Rafah,” the IDF disclosed in a press release Sunday morning.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Hamas’ terrorist ally in Gaza, suffered a major blow when the IDF killed its logistics chief responsible for the Rafah stronghold.
“In coordination with IDF ground troops, an IAF aircraft struck and eliminated a significant Islamic Jihad terrorist operative who was the Head of Logistics of the Rafah Brigade in the Islamic Jihad. He was responsible for preparing the terror organization for operations against IDF ground troops in the area,” the statement added.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck dozens of terrorist targets in Rafah and across Gaza.
“The IAF continues to operate in the Gaza Strip, and struck over 70 terror targets during the past day, including weapons storage facilities, military infrastructure sites, terrorists who posed a threat to IDF troops, and military compounds,” the Israel military said.
The Israeli Air Force struck more than 70 targets across the Gaza Strip in the past day, the military says, as ground forces operate in Rafah, Jabaliya, and the Netzarim Corridor.
According to the IDF, the targets included weapon depots, infrastructure, and buildings belonging… pic.twitter.com/xMgbPjlPAs
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 18, 2024
Lebanon: IDF airstrike kills Hamas-Backed top terror commander
After weeks of cross-border rocket and drone strikes into Israel from Lebanon, an Israel airstrike on Friday eliminated a senior terror commander of Jamaa Islamiya, a jihadist group allied to Hamas, based in the country. The slain terrorist, Shurahbil Ali Alsayed, was responsible for several recent terror attacks in Israel.
“Earlier today, IAF aircraft operated in the area of Majdal Anjar to eliminate the terrorist Shurahbil Ali Alsayed, a senior commander of the Jamaa Islamiya terrorist organization in Lebanon,” the IDF said in a press release late Friday. “Shurahbil promoted numerous terror attacks from Lebanon against Israel in the eastern arena recently, as well as in cooperation with Hamas’ wing in Lebanon.”
Palestinians in Jenin mourn the death of Islam Khamaysa who was killed in an airstrike carried out by Israel a few hours. Khamaysa belonged Islamic Jihad's branch in Jenin. The IDF said Khamaysa was responsible for carrying out terror attacks against Israelis. pic.twitter.com/5cpaDmz7mS
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) May 18, 2024
The Israeli broadcaster Arutz Sheva reported the Israeli airstrike:
IAF aircraft on Friday operated in the area of Majdal Anjar in Lebanon to eliminate terrorist Shurahbil Ali Alsayed, a senior commander of the Jamaa Islamiya terrorist organization.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that Shurahbil promoted numerous terror attacks from Lebanon against Israel in the eastern arena recently, as well as in cooperation with Hamas’ wing in Lebanon.
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The loss of the Rafah – Egyptian tunnels is a huge economic loss to the Egyptian military who were being paid off by Hamas. No wonder Egypt was trying so hard to stop Israel from entering Rafah. Money talks.
More troubling is the implication that the existence of these tunnels was well known to the Biden administration and was the actual basis for their strenuous objection to Israel entering Rafah.
I am stunned to find out that Egypt let the tunnels run unhindered as long as the Hamas terrorists didn’t try to move into their country.
We are about to see the North African slave trade exposed as the Mossad looks for potential hostages.
Muslims…
The methods the IDF has used to destroy or damage other gazan military tunnels (without sending in troops blindly) won’t be applicable when they only control one end and the other end is in Egypt,
Fastest and least expensive if it’s technically impossible is flood a tunnel with explosive vapor and ignite the resulting fuel/air mixture.
But, but, what about rescuing any hostages in those tunnels? Face it, there’s no guarantee ANY of the remaining hostages are still alive, and if they are the brave brave warriors of Hamas are in the process of torturing them to death like they’ve done to so many others. If any live or dead are in the Egyptian border tunnels they’ll be shot or bum rushed into the Egyptian exits before they could be rescued.
And if Hamas didn’t put in airlocks so the entire length blows up, to include the building housing the exit? Bonus points.
Aiding and Abetting Hamas in its war with Israel may not have Israel showing much restraint in dealing with the other end of tunnels in Egypt. For sure, Israel must know that none of the senior Hamas leaders are still in Gaza, or can get out at a moment’s notice. (This seems to be the means that Hamas got the recently reported 1,000 injured Hamas fighters to Turkey.)
If Turkey is aiding and abetting, then maybe they should be subjected to precision termination of those Hamas. Clear boundaries must be set.
I have assumed the tunnels were always the primary objective. I hope their methods are permanent.
Hamas should quit trying to be fighters and do what they are good at: constructing tunnels. There are more hamas tunnels than there are hamas fighters. Well, now there is—ha ha.
There’s got to be hundreds of mining laborers working the “mines of Hamas,” and none of them gab about it top-side?
Mine tailings have to go somewhere above ground.
And Hamas employs a fair number of workers to mix and pour the pre-fab concrete sections used to shore the tunnels. And all of that requires construction supply.
We’re talking hundreds and hundreds of people directly or indirectly engaged in working the digs and no one notices it.
Got me flummoxed as to how they have gotten away with it for obviously a long time.
Building tunnels is the only thing Hamas really does. International orgs build everything else for them.
We can’t quite claim Egypt allows Hamas to dig tunnels along its border, and at its leisure, since the Israelis have precisely the same problem along its own border.
Good point.
However blowing up the parts of them tunnels extending under Egypt would at least make Egypt crack down on future tunneling.
Cadaver storage is not my thing, but those bodies have to be getting ripe at this point.
Robo explosives / drones will make light work of those tunnels.
Hamas is really embracing the goblin identity.
You have to understand that to the US government, these are “mostly peaceful” terror tunnels.
Subotai Bahadur
same tunnels that run from the wh to cnn
Turn on the spigots! It’s flooding time!