Israel discovered the largest tunnel built by Hamas in Gaza to date, located a quarter mile from the crossing between Israel and northern Gaza, according to the Israeli army on Sunday, raising questions about how the passage went undetected despite concerns over intelligence gaps prior to Hamas’s attack on October 7.
Key Facts
The tunnel was discovered several weeks ago by Israeli forces but was revealed for the first time on Sunday. The tunnel reaches depths of up to 164 feet at certain points and stretches as long as two and a half miles, according to the Israeli army.
The entrance to the tunnel is located a few hundred meters from the Erez crossing into Israel – which was breached on October 7 – and a nearby Israeli military base, where Hamas fighters killed at least three soldiers and abducted more.
The Israeli army described the tunnel as “Senwar’s secret” after Hamas leader Yehya Sinwar and his brother Mohammed, and Israeli military spokesperson Colonel Richard Hecht stated that the tunnel was “for transporting massive assets” and was used to transfer military supplies and vehicles in preparation for Hamas’s attack on October 7.
The Israeli government took a group of journalists to see the tunnel and showed them video footage of Mohammed Sinwar walking through the tunnel before the war began.
While the Israeli army has been aware of the extensive network of tunnels – also known as “Metro Gaza” – that connects Gaza to Israel and Egypt since 2014, the new large section revealed on Sunday may have gone unnoticed due to its termination before the Israeli border, as Israeli intelligence focuses on tunnels extending into Israel, according to Major Nir Dinar, according to Agence France-Presse.
Critical Quote
“We will chase them even if we have to go down into the tunnels,” said Major General Daniel Hagari to journalists during a tour of the tunnel, according to Agence France-Presse. “We also need to do this while considering the rescue of our hostages and understanding that some of them may be in the tunnels.”
Main Background
After the October 7 attack, when Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took more than 140 hostages from Israel into Gaza, videos produced by the terrorist group revealed extensive preparations for the attack, raising questions about how it went undetected. The videos released by Hamas over the past year on Telegram showed its fighters practicing blowing up representations of the Israeli border and attacking life-sized models of Israeli town buildings, according to Agence France-Presse. The New York Times reported that Israeli soldiers stationed on the Gaza border ignored a warning from intelligence forces about increased activity in Gaza’s rebel networks.
What We Don’t Know
The full extent of the tunnels. According to the Wall Street Journal, Israeli soldiers reported they had identified over 800 tunnel exits since the war began, but the vast majority of the tunnels remain unknown.
What to Watch For
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to Israel this week, where he will urge the Israeli army to scale back its large bombing campaign and instead deploy a more targeted operation to eliminate Hamas leaders. This guidance comes after President Joe Biden acknowledged a rift with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, upset over Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing campaign” that has resulted in the deaths of more than 18,000 people since the war began, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
A picture of Israeli soldiers exiting a tunnel used by Hamas fighters to attack the Erez crossing in northern Gaza on Friday, December 15, 2023. Copyright 2023 by Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved.
Israeli soldiers seen in a tunnel used by Hamas fighters to attack the Erez crossing in northern Gaza Strip on Friday, December 15, 2023. Copyright 2023 by Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved.
An Israeli soldier secures a tunnel near the border with Israel on December 15, 2023, in northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli Defense Forces say this is the largest tunnel they have found so far in Gaza. (Photo by Amir Levy / Getty Images) Getty Images
Israeli soldiers stand near the entrance of a tunnel close to the border with Israel on December 15, 2023, in northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli Defense Forces say this is the largest tunnel they have found so far in Gaza. (Photo by Amir Levy / Getty Images) Getty Images
This photo was taken during a media tour organized by the Israeli military on December 15, 2023, showing damage at the Erez crossing between southern Israel and the Gaza Strip after the Hamas attack on October 7. The Israeli military stated on December 17, 2023, that it had discovered the largest Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip to date, just a few hundred meters from the Erez border crossing. (Photo by Jack Guez / AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images
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