Israel finds large tunnel near Gaza border close to major crossing

The Israeli army stated Sunday it has found a big tunnel shaft in Gaza near what was as soon as a busy crossing into Israel, elevating new questions on how Israeli surveillance missed such conspicuous preparations by Hamas for the militants’ lethal Oct. 7 assault.

The entryway to the tunnel is just some hundred meters from the closely fortified Erez crossing and a close-by Israeli army base. It is the most important and longest tunnel Israeli forces have discovered to this point, the Israeli army advised CBS Information.

The army stated that it stretches for greater than 2.5 miles, hyperlinks up with a sprawling tunnel community throughout Gaza and is extensive sufficient for automobiles to go by way of. The military stated Sunday that the tunnel facilitated the transit of autos, militants and provides in preparation for the Oct. 7 assault. The tunnel, produced from strengthened concrete and metal, was additionally utilized by Hamas militants to maneuver hostages on Oct. 7, Israeli forces stated.

That day, militants used a rocket-propelled grenade to interrupt previous the portion of wall near the Erez crossing and stormed the bottom, killing a minimum of three troopers and kidnapping some again to Gaza, the military stated. It was one among a number of locations alongside the border wall the place militants simply blew previous Israel’s safety defenses, entered Israeli territory and killed round 1,200 folks and took about 240 others hostage.

The unprecedented assault triggered a devastating warfare that has raged for greater than 10 weeks and claimed greater than 18,000 lives within the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, in response to Palestinian well being officers. Israel says the destruction of Hamas’ tunnel community is a significant goal and that a lot of the underground community runs beneath colleges, hospitals and residential areas.

Israel’s army, intelligence and political officers have come beneath heavy criticism for failing to detect the assault forward of time.

Maj. Nir Dinar, a army spokesperson, stated that Israeli safety companies did not know concerning the tunnel earlier than Oct. 7 as a result of Israel’s border defenses solely detected tunnels meant to enter Israel.

“So far as I do know, this tunnel does not cross from Gaza into Israel and stops inside 400 meters from the border, which implies the symptoms will not point out {that a} tunnel is being constructed,” Dinar stated. He added that the doorway, a round cement opening resulting in a cavernous passageway, was positioned beneath a storage, hiding it from Israeli drones and satellite tv for pc photographs.

Whereas the army was conscious that Hamas had an intensive tunnel community, Dinar stated they did not suppose the militants would have the ability to perform their plans for a large-scale assault.

“It is no shock that this was the Hamas technique all alongside,” Dinar stated. “The shock is that they’ve succeeded and the dimensions of this tunnel … was actually surprising.”

The Erez crossing, a fortress-like facility that processed the motion of Palestinians into Israel for work, medical care and transit to neighboring Jordan, held nice symbolic worth for Hamas. The large crossing was protected by safety cameras and army patrols and the adjoining army base. The crossing suffered heavy injury on Oct. 7 and hasn’t reopened.

The military stated its particular “Yahalom” unit, which makes a speciality of tunnel warfare, has labored to excavate the tunnel because it was first detected. They are saying they’ve discovered weapons inside.

“At this level, that is the largest tunnel in Gaza,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief army spokesman, advised reporters in a tour of the tunnel’s entrance on Friday.

Talking to reporters on Sunday, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Israel’s chief army spokesman, stated troops had found a minimum of two different “city-sized” tunnels of comparable scope, which they’re nonetheless mapping.

“This was a flagship venture that was ready, completed and prepared,” Hagari advised a information convention. He famous the tunnel was in use throughout the warfare and that Israeli troopers had killed Hamas militants contained in the tunnel.

The military additionally confirmed reporters troopers’ barracks on the close by base that it stated have been set ablaze by the militants. They seemed just like the ashes of a furnace, with blackened partitions and smelted bunks. Israel Protection Forces Col. Moshe Tetro advised CBS Information three of his troopers have been taken captive from the bottom. The army introduced Friday that it had recovered in Gaza the our bodies of two troopers who have been working on the base on Oct. 7.

Dinar, who visited the tunnel Friday, stated it was twice the peak and thrice the width of different tunnels present in Gaza. He stated it’s geared up with air flow and electrical energy and dives 50 meters underground in some factors. He stated it was clear that thousands and thousands of {dollars} in addition to an excessive amount of gasoline and workforce had been wanted to construct and maintain the tunnel.

Hagari stated the army deliberate to destroy the tunnel and proceed to “hunt” militants hiding in others. 

“We’ll hunt them even when we have to go right down to the tunnels,” Hagari stated. “We additionally have to do it with consideration to the rescue of our hostages and the understanding that possibly a few of them are within the tunnels.”

Hagari advised CBS Information he believes the IDF is “managing the chance” to hostages.

“We’ve got, initially, bear in mind, rescuing our hostages, we wish to carry the hostages alive again residence,” he stated. “It is very advanced, we would like them alive again residence.”

Israel’s army stated Friday it had by accident killed three Israeli hostages within the Gaza Strip when troops “mistakenly recognized three Israeli hostages as a menace.” In accordance with an IDF official, the hostages have been shirtless and have been waving a white flag on a stick.

Hagari stated as soon as the Israeli army is glad the tunnels have been looked for hostages, Israeli forces will blow them up.