About three months after it was uncovered, the IDF destroyed the largest terrorist tunnel in northern Gaza today (Tuesday). The tunnel was uncovered on December 16 and included many branches, even extending into Israeli territory.
Over the past few weeks, the IDF has been engaged in exploring and neutralizing the tunnel, and today, the route was finally destroyed in a joint operation of different units, including the IDF's engineering corps.
Major Y., who serves as the deputy commander of the engineering unit of the Gaza Division, recounted the operation: "We are in close proximity to the barrier and next to the village of Netiv HaAsara. About 200 meters south of us into Gaza territory, a strategic terrorist tunnel of Hamas was located about two months ago. The most senior Hamas members - Yahya and Mohammed Sinwar (brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was also photographed inside the tunnel) - took a direct part in working on the construction planning and budgeting of the tunnel.
Major Y. added: "They drew many resources from the population of Gaza for the benefit of terrorism in place of civilian infrastructure. Today we are destroying it, therefore distancing the terrorist line of Hamas from the (Jewish villages in southern Israel). We will destroy and collapse the entire underground infrastructure."
The maximum depth of the strategic tunnel was about 50 meters and the IDF uncovered more than 4 km of the tunnel's route when the shaft closest to Israel reached about 400 meters from the Erez Crossing through which many Gazans have entered Israel for emergency medical treatment as well as work over the past years.
The tunnel was also capable of having vehicles move inside of it and Hamas used it for storing weapons. Its construction project included a team of dozens of terrorists who arrived in Gaza with the specific mission of carrying it out.