IDF soldiers under the command of the 401st Brigade of the 162nd Division, in collaboration with Shaytet 13 naval commandos and the Yahalom elite engineering unit, successfully located and examined three active tunnel shafts near Rantisi Hospital.
Yahalom soldiers conducted a thorough search of the area, tunnels, and shafts, utilizing various techniques to map the topography of the tunnels and the connections between the shafts. The operation unveiled an extensive underground network connecting the shafts, spanning several kilometers beneath the hospital and reaching strategic locations in the heart of Gaza City.
The Rantisi tunnel, situated near a school, linked to another school and served as a command and control center for combat operations in northern Gaza and terrorist activities.
A girls’ school housed one of the operational shafts, reaching approximately 20 meters deep, complete with an elevator and electrical infrastructure. Guided by intelligence from Unit 504 of the Intelligence Directorate, another operational shaft was discovered within a hideout residence used by a Hamas naval unit commander. The tunnel’s topography revealed junctions and blast doors designed to thwart IDF intrusion and protect the tunnel infrastructure.
In a collaborative effort between soldiers from the Yahalom Unit and engineering soldiers from the 14th Brigade, the tunnel infrastructure and shafts were systematically destroyed.
“The exposure of the shafts near the hospital and school once again demonstrates Hamas’ cynical use of the civilian population. Exposing Hamas’ use of the residents of the Gaza Strip, including refugees and children, as human shields,” stated the IDF.
During combat in the hospital area, soldiers from the 401st and 460th brigades eliminated numerous terrorists. The Tzabar Battalion and the 52nd Battalion conducted raids and scans of buildings, uncovering significant terror infrastructure, including command and control centers, media equipment, maps, aids, and a substantial cache of weapons.
{Matzav.com Israel}
