The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recently uncovered and destroyed one of Gaza’s largest and most complex underground Hamas infrastructures, stretching 25 meters beneath civilian sites in Rafah. The seven-kilometer-long ‘root tunnel’ includes about 80 rooms and served as a key site for command operations, weapons storage, and the sheltering of Hamas operatives. The IDF’s discovery and demolition of this tunnel has been described by analysts as a major strategic blow to Hamas, potentially accelerating its defeat and reshaping the conflict’s dynamics. The tunnel’s sophistication and scale, as highlighted in the IDF’s released video, reflect Hamas’s extensive underground warfare capabilities.
Israeli military officials claim this tunnel was part of a network that may have connected to the location where Lt. Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier, was held captive before his remains were returned to Israel. Analysts believe the destruction of such critical infrastructure is a pivotal step in the IDF’s broader strategy to dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities and prevent future attacks. This development underscores the ongoing escalation in the Gaza conflict and highlights the critical role of underground facilities in Hamas’s operations.
Professor Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and the Misgav Institute, emphasized that Hamas’s root tunnels form the backbone of its underground warfare system. He noted that such tunnels are used for command and control, weapon storage, and strategic logistics, and that their destruction is a significant blow to the group’s operational capacity. The IDF’s operation in Rafah marks a continued effort to dismantle Hamas’s infrastructure, with analysts suggesting that the destruction of these tunnels could push the group to the brink.
Historically, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed a strong desire to destroy these tunnels, which have been used by Hamas to infiltrate Israeli territory. A 2023 investigation by Reuters revealed that Hamas had allegedly used the tunnels to hide hostages following its Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The IDF has reportedly uncovered around 1,500 Hamas tunnels and shafts throughout the Gaza Strip, indicating the scale of the underground network the group has built over time.