Israel Defense Forces troops operating in the Gaza Strip have destroyed a tunnel Palestinian terrorists used to carry out a deadly attack during the 2014 war, the military said on Friday.
The tunnel, located in the Beit Hanoun area in northeastern Gaza, was approximately one kilometer long.
During “Operation Protective Edge” in 2014, terrorists emerged from the tunnel and killed four Israeli soldiers: Lt. Col. Dolev Keidar, Second Lt. Yuval Heiman, Sgt. Maj. Ksahoon (Dani) Bainsin and Sgt. First Class Nadav Goldmacher.
“This operation reflects the IDF’s commitment to dismantling previously utilized terrorist infrastructure and preventing its reuse,” the military said in a statement.
Troops from the IDF’s 97th Battalion, operating under the Northern Gaza Brigade and the 99th Division, a reserve infantry unit, have been active in the area over the past week. According to the IDF, the soldiers dismantled dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites and killed several terrorists.
IDF troops operating in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza dismantled more than 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) of terrorist tunnels, the military said on Monday.
Troops from the 401st “Iron Tracks” Armored Brigade, operating under the command of the 162nd Division, uncovered tunnels used by Hamas terrorists for extended stays.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Tuesday that the military would refocus its efforts on battling Hamas in Gaza, following the cessation of hostilities in the war against Iran.
Despite what he called a “phenomenal achievement” in the campaign against Iran, Zamir warned that “many challenges lie ahead” as he addressed the IDF’s General Staff, which includes about 30 of the military’s top commanders.
“Now, the focus returns to Gaza—to bring the hostages home and collapse Hamas’s rule,” he declared.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement overnight Wednesday ordering the Israel Defense Forces to present, within 48 hours, a plan to prevent Hamas from seizing humanitarian aid entering the northern Gaza Strip.
The directive follows intelligence reports indicating that Hamas is once again stealing aid shipments and diverting them away from Gazan civilians.
