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IDF destroys longest Hamas terror tunnel in northern Gaza

Stretching 1.5 miles, the route ran to the southern Strip.

Israeli forces destroying the longest Hamas terror tunnel in the northern Gaza Strip. Credit: IDF.
Israeli forces destroying the longest Hamas terror tunnel in the northern Gaza Strip. Credit: IDF.

Israeli forces last week destroyed the longest Hamas terror tunnel discovered in the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF said on Sunday afternoon.

Stretching 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles), the route passed Hamas battalions and brigades and connected the northern and southern Strip, according to the IDF.

The tunnel was destroyed by engineering forces from the IDF’s 162nd Division and the Combat Engineering Corps’ elite Yahalom unit working together.

“We are at the end of destroying part of a network of tunnels,” said Lt. Col. Ran, the 162nd Division’s engineering officer. “About 12 kilometers of outdoor tunnels. From there we will continue to more tunnels.”

IDF ground units continue to operate in the center of the Gaza Strip, killing 18 terrorists over the past day with sniper fire and shelling and in cooperation with the Israeli Air Force.

The army is also continuing activities in the Khan Yunis area in the southern Gaza Strip, killing terrorists and confiscating weapons.

Describing the move as “unprecedented and highly controversial,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it ties “the hands of his successor” and degrades the U.N.’s “rules-based order.”
Foreign Minister Sa’ar hosted his Congolese counterpart in Jerusalem to sign two Memoranda of Understanding.
“All of the terrorists were transferred to the security forces for further investigation,” authorities added.
The incident joins a series of similar ones in recent months, posing a danger to the safety of IDF troops, according to the military.
“Our goal is to safeguard our security while also expanding the circle of peace around us,” he added.
The find will be housed in an archaeology, art and innovation wing of the Tower of David Museum slated to open in late 2028.