The Israeli military provided a startling look Thursday at Hamas’ main tunnel in southern Gaza – after discovering evidence that several terrorist hostages were being held there in horrific conditions.
The tunnel was discovered by the Israel Defense Forces’ Commando Brigade and other special forces in Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza that has seen the heaviest fighting in recent weeks.
“After investigating the tunnel, it can be said that there were Israeli hostages in it,” the IDF said after DNA was found on some of the captives.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF’s chief spokesman, did not say what exactly was found in the tunnel, nor what the DNA was found on.
He also did not identify the hostages spotted there, or reveal whether they were believed to be alive – only saying the hostages were being held in “difficult conditions.”
A video tour uploaded on social media shows the vast underground tunnel system, which is accessed by stairs through an 8-foot shaft located “in the middle of a public area” in Khan Younis.
A curved tunnel leads to a long, dark staircase that connects to several corridors and basement rooms, one of which features trash and electrical wires littered on the floor.
The IDF discovered a Hamas tunnel system south of Gaza Khan Younis on Thursday, where it believes Israeli hostages are being held in dire conditions. IDF
The tunnel system also has functioning plumbing, as indicated by the small bathroom located at the end of one of the hallways where the DNA sample was found.
The IDF added that the tunnel system was connected to various entrances in other civilian areas of Khan Younis, where hundreds of thousands of refugees had gathered following mass evacuations in northern Gaza before the war.
One of the exits leads to an apartment complex that was largely destroyed by the fighting, with the other leading to a civilian living space that was also left in ruins.
A curved tunnel leads to a long, dark staircase that leads to multiple corridors and cellars. IDF The tunnel system has functioning plumbing, as evidenced by the small bathroom located at the end of one of the hallways. IDF
Western media for the first time were also invited to visit the tunnel.
Brig. General Dan Goldfus, commander of the Israeli army’s 98th Division, told CNN’s Nic Robertson that the military had narrowed down the location of some of the hostages to a tunnel under Khan Younis.
Goldfus said the goal was to destroy the man-made tunnel system to rescue the hostages and eliminate Hamas’ main advantage in the war in Gaza, describing the underground shafts as a “720-degree threat.”
One room featured in the video shows trash and electrical wires littering the floor. IDF
“It’s not 360, but it’s 720, underground and above ground,” Goldfus said of the coverage provided by the tunnel.
Troops of the 98th Division continue to fight in other Hamas tunnel systems located throughout Khan Younis, with members of the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit focused on finding, studying and destroying the 300-mile long “Gaza Metro.”
Israel also believes that top Hamas leaders, including Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, are hiding in tunnels under Khan Younis.
“After investigating the tunnel, it can be said that there were Israeli hostages in it,” the IDF said after DNA was found on some of the captives. IDF
The Israeli military has touted that more than 300 tunnel shafts have been placed in recent times, with more than a third of the underground corridors now destroyed and inoperable.
Despite the progress, the IDF has yet to locate or free any of the more than 130 hostages still being held by Hamas and its allies.
About 20 of the hostages are believed to be dead, according to Israel, which accuses Hamas of not handing over the bodies for burial.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
