• Spanish
    • French
    • English
  • Newsletter
Atalayar Politics
The keys to the world in your handsLes clés du monde entre vos mainsLas claves del mundo en tus manos
Search
Sections
Follow us
Language
  • Spanish
  • French
  • English
This finding coincides with a meeting in Poland between the head of the CIA, Mossad and the Qatari prime minister to discuss a new ceasefire agreement

Israeli army finds largest Hamas tunnel in Gaza so far

Appeals Court backs Trump's trade policy: tariffs reinstated amid legal dispute

Hammouchi and Morocco's leadership in global security: cooperation and strategy at the Moscow forum

Algeria: the crisis threatening the end of the National Liberation Front

PHOTO/Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel - El ministro de Defensa de Israel, Yoav Gallant, en un túnel de Hamás en Gaza
PHOTO/Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel - El ministro de Defensa de Israel, Yoav Gallant, en un túnel de Hamás en Gaza
Margarita Arredondas
Updated: 18/12/23

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have discovered this weekend "the largest Hamas tunnel" of 4 kilometres in length. In a statement, the Israeli army explained that the underground infrastructure is "wide enough for a large vehicle to pass through, reaches up to 50 metres underground and is equipped with electricity, ventilation and communication systems".

However, this tunnel does not cross into Israel, but ends 400 metres before the now closed Erez crossing on the northern border between Israel and Gaza. This crossing was stormed by Hamas during the 7 October attacks, although it was previously crossed daily by 8,500 Gazans to enter Israel to work. 

The IDF has stressed that this tunnel is part of the terrorist group's "strategic infrastructure" and will be destroyed. It is believed to have been used as a launching point for attacks, as well as for "Hamas troop movements".

In addition to this long, deep tunnel, the IDF claims to have discovered "hundreds" of similar infrastructures throughout the Gaza Strip, where it continues to operate to further locate and destroy the tunnel system, a project led, according to Israel, by Muhammad Sinwar, brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, for whom a reward of $400,000 is being offered. 

To end this infrastructure, the IDF has begun flooding some of Hamas's tunnels with seawater. As The Wall Street Journal reported last week, the Israeli army installed five large water pumps near Gaza City capable of flooding the tunnels in a matter of weeks by pumping thousands of cubic metres of water per hour.  

The Islamist organisation is estimated to have built 500 kilometres of tunnels under the Gaza Strip, including hospitals, schools and residential areas. These tunnels have been used for years for smuggling from Egypt, for launching attacks against Israel and for storing ammunition and weaponry. Some have also been used as command centres - such as the barracks under Al-Shifa hospital - and, after the 7 October attack, many of the hostages were held there.  

According to IDF figures, each tunnel cost $3 million, equivalent to 350 truckloads of building materials that could have been used to build 86 homes, 7 mosques, 6 schools and up to 19 health centres in Gaza.  

Black weekend in Israel  

The discovery of the longest tunnel so far coincides with one of the toughest times for Israel since it launched its ground operation in Gaza. This weekend, the IDF announced that Israeli troops mistakenly killed three hostages in the Shejaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City. 

After 70 days held hostage by Hamas, Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka and Alon Shamriz managed to escape, but were killed by Israeli soldiers after they were mistakenly identified as a threat, despite carrying white flags and even speaking Hebrew. Subsequently, the IDF also released photographs showing signs on a nearby building reading "SOS" and, in Hebrew, "help, 3 hostages". The posters were written on cloth with leftover food. 

In addition to this tragic incident, the lifeless bodies of hostages Inbar Haiman and Aden Zakaria, both aged 27, have been found in recent days. Both Haiman and Zakaria were not released during the truce at the end of November despite meeting the requirements to enter into the agreement. 

It is believed that 128 hostages remain in Gaza - not all of them alive - after 105 civilians were released in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Prior to the truce four hostages were released and one was rescued by troops. 

In this regard, Israel and Hamas would again be open to a new truce that would include the release of the hostages, Reuters reports. Egyptian security sources quoted by the news agency said that Hamas insists on deciding unilaterally which hostages will be released, and demands that Israeli troops withdraw. According to the sources, Israel rejected the latter term, demanding also to check the list of hostages before the ceasefire is determined.

To address this issue, CIA Director William J. Burns is scheduled to meet in Poland with Mossad chief David Barnea and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Walla News reported citing a US official.

In addition to the delicate situation in Gaza, tension continues to mount in the West Bank after an Israeli soldier was stabbed at a petrol station near the Rantis checkpoint and a young woman was wounded following a shooting at her vehicle, which also contained a man and a baby. Clashes also continue in the north with the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, which continues to launch attacks on Israeli territory. 

Computer warfare 

Separately, Israel's National Cyber Directorate announced this morning that it thwarted a cyber attack on an Israeli medical centre in the north of the country. The hackers, linked to Iran and Hezbollah, attempted to disrupt the hospital's operations.

Meanwhile, the Iranian authorities have reported that almost 70% of the country's petrol stations were out of service after a possible cyber-attack caused "software problems". An Israeli-linked hacker group dubbed "Gonjeshke Darande" or "predatory sparrow" claimed responsibility for the cyber-attack. 

Tags:
Gaza Israel Hamas
More in Politics