THE Israel Defense Forces uncovered an extensive tunnel system in Gaza Strip, located just a few hundred meters from a vital border crossing.
Reports said the tunnel was so huge that small vehicles could easily travel inside of it.
The Israeli army believes that the tunnel cost millions of dollars and took years to construct.
The extensive tunnel project was helmed by Mohamed Yahya, the brother of Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar.
Yahya Sinwar whom the IDF calls “the butcher of Khan Yunis” and the mastermind of the October 7 attack.
According to Israeli Chief Military Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the tunnel spans 4 kilometers or 2.5 miles, enough to reach the northern Gaza City, an area that was once the heart of Hamas governance.
While the IDF said none of the branches entered Israeli territory, one of the shafts of the tunnel was found 400 meters from the Erez Crossing.
Hagari said that thousands of Palestinians were going from the Erez Crossing inside Israel.
According to the IDF, over the last few weeks, the Combat Engineering Cor’s Elite Yahalom Unit, and the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade, used advanced intelligence and technological means to uncover the tunnel network, scan it, and clear it of any possible threats.
The huge tunnel also has several branches and junctions and has communication lines, plumbing, and electricity.
Some parts of the tunnel also have blast doors, which the IDF claims were intended to prevent Israeli soldiers from entering.
Meanwhile, the IDF said they also raided the offices of the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Battalion and the vacation homes of several senior Hamas commanders, including Yahya Sinwar’s
