The Israeli military discovered the largest Hamas tunnel so far, which is wide enough for cars and equipped with blast-proof doors

The Israel Defense Forces said on December 17 that they had discovered the \”largest so far\” Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) near the Erez crossing on the northern Gaza Strip\’s border with Israel. Underground tunnel.

According to AFP, the Israel Defense Forces stated that the tunnel is about 4 kilometers long, about 50 meters deep in some areas, and wide enough for vehicles to pass. One of the shafts is only 400 meters from the Erez crossing point. .

The Israeli army discovered the \”largest so far\” Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip.

The statement said authorities also found a large number of weapons that could be used in attacks at any time. The military said the huge concrete and iron tunnel could transport militant vehicles from Gaza to the border.

The Israeli army said that this tunnel has several branches and intersections., as well as pipelines, power and communication lines, they found \”many weapons\” from Hamas inside, and blast doors in some areas.

Schematic diagram of the location of this tunnel.

What makes these tunnels special is that they have drainage systems, electricity, ventilation, sewage and communication networks, as well as tracks. The floor is made of compacted earth, the walls are reinforced concrete structures, and the metal cylindrical entrance wall is 1.5 centimeters thick.

Israeli military spokesman Neil Dinard, who has visited the tunnel to inspect the tunnel, said that the tunnel is twice as high and three times as wide as other Hamas tunnels found in Gaza and is equipped with ventilation Equipment and power, obviously costing millions of dollars, a lot of fuel and labor to build and maintain. It is intended to target the Erez crossing.

The Israeli army showed images of the interior of the tunnel, which is equipped with electrical wires, sewage pipes and tracks.

The Israeli military released footage purportedly recorded by Hamas, showing a small construction vehicle driving in a tunnel, an open temporary warehouse filled with concrete used to build walls, and workers The earth is being dug with crude power tools.

The Israeli army said the tunnel project, led by Mohamed Yahya, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, took several years to build. It is believed that Hamas used the above-mentioned tunnel when it launched a raid on military and civilian targets in Israel on October 7.

The Associated Press reported that the Israeli military, intelligence services and government officials were criticized for failing to detect the Hamas raid in advance. The Israeli military explained that the Israeli security agency had not previously discovered this tunnel because the entrance to the tunnel was located underground in a parking lot and escaped detection by Israeli drones and satellite imaging technology.

Hamas has not responded yet. There is currently no evidence that the tunnel extends from Gaza into Israel.

Compiled/written by: Nandu reporter Shi Minglei