IDF Uncovers 10-km Tunnel in Gaza

Latest Developments

A network of Hamas tunnels underneath a Gaza hospital and a university, including a 10 km (6.2 mile) long tunnel, was revealed by Israeli forces on February 26. The tunnel network connects northern and southern Gaza, allowing Hamas terrorists to move between different brigade sectors.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) found entrances to the network in the northern and southern parts of the Turkish Hospital in central Gaza. The network also connects to Israa University in Gaza City. Inside the tunnels, the IDF said that its troops discovered “rooms including toilets, storage facilities for weapons and combat equipment, a branching tunnel shaft network as well as the bodies of terrorists left in the tunnel.” The IDF said that after gaining control and investigating the tunnels, it destroyed much of the network.

Hamas has built hundreds of miles of tunnels underneath Gaza since it took power in 2007. Many of the tunnels are under civilian areas, including hospitals. Israeli forces continue to uncover and destroy hundreds of these tunnel shafts in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.

Expert Analysis

“Hamas continues to cynically and illegally conduct terrorist activities by building tunnels under civilian areas, including under a hospital and a university, placing civilians at risk. The size of this tunnel also provides further evidence of how Hamas plowed financial resources into terror, diverting resources that could have gone to civilians in Gaza.”— Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“As Israel advances in the Gaza Strip, the complexity of the tunnel network Hamas and its allies have constructed is becoming more apparent. Moreover, it is evident that Palestinian terrorist groups have prioritized the development and militarization of their forces over improving the lives of Palestinians. Essentially, what has been established in Gaza is an Iranian-sponsored front on Israel’s border.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Terrorist Infrastructure Located at Gaza’s Al-Azhar University

Israeli troops uncovered terrorist infrastructure at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, the IDF said on December 8. The university is located in northern Gaza’s Rimal neighborhood, which was the scene of fighting in November. The IDF said that troops located “an underground tunnel that ran from the university’s yard and continues to a school one kilometer away.” In addition, the IDF found explosives, parts for rockets, and other materials related to Hamas terrorism. “The findings show that Hamas exploited the university’s building for attacks against our forces,” the IDF said. The IDF also published photos showing the weapons it found.

“Weapons and Tunnel at Gaza’s Al-Azhar University Uncovered by IDF,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Floods Some Gaza Tunnels,” FDD Flash Brief

“Up to 40 Percent of Hamas Terror Tunnels in Gaza Damaged or Destroyed,” FDD Flash Brief

“Egypt Claims It Destroyed Hamas Tunnels, But Smuggling Continues,” FDD Flash Brief