Israeli Forces Locate Tunnel Where Hostages Were Held in Gaza

Latest Developments

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) located a tunnel in Khan Younis used by Hamas terrorists to hold hostages, the IDF said on January 11. “After investigating the tunnel, it can be said that there were Israeli hostages in it,” the IDF stated. Hamas is holding 136 hostages in Gaza who were kidnapped from Israel when terrorists attacked the Jewish state on October 7. The IDF is using various specialized units to uncover what it says is a tunnel that “was connected to an extensive underground tunnel network beneath a civilian area in the city.”

Expert Analysis

“Hamas invested large sums of money in building hundreds of miles of tunnels underneath civilian areas of Gaza. This tunnel network was used to threaten Israel and has been used to hold hostages. It is essential that the tunnel infrastructure under Gaza be dismantled in order to provide security for Israel and give Gaza’s civilians the right to live in areas without terrorist groups operating underneath their homes.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“The extent of Hamas’s military infrastructure is slowly surfacing as Israel continues to make progress in Gaza. The emerging evidence demonstrates the time and enormous resources Hamas channeled into strengthening its own military capabilities rather than improving the lives of Palestinians in Gaza.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

300 Tunnel Shafts Found in Khan Younis

The IDF has located more than 300 tunnel shafts in Khan Younis alone. The IDF said in early December it had found 800 tunnels throughout Gaza used by terrorists and dismantled 500 of them. The IDF estimates that millions of shekels were invested in building the tunnel where hostages were held under Khan Younis.

Thousands Gather in Jerusalem to Pray for Hostages’ Return

Thousands of people gathered at Jerusalem’s Western Wall, a Jewish holy site, on January 10 to pray for the return of the hostages. Leading rabbis in Israel read prayers during the event. Reports estimated that 50,000 people attended the unprecedented gathering. Israelis also gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art that day to call for the release of the hostages.

Related Analysis

“Hamas Tunnel Found Near School, Rocket Launcher Near Kindergarten,” FDD Flash Brief

“UN Experts to Investigate Allegations of Hamas Sexual Violence as Crimes Against Humanity,” FDD Flash Brief

“Second American-Israeli Murdered in Hamas Captivity,” FDD Flash Brief