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The tunnel was uncovered and destroyed by the Combat Engineering Corps' elite Yahalom Unit operating under the command of the IDF’s 252nd Division, which has been conducting expanded ground operations aimed at widening Israel’s security perimeter inside Gaza. In a separate operation, troops located a rocket production workshop and launchers.
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Yahalom commandos destroy massive Hamas tunnel, 252nd Division troops uncover terror sites in northern Gaza
(Video: IDF)
According to the military, more than 50 terrorists have been killed by the division since the beginning of its latest phase of operations.
“IDF troops will continue to operate against terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip in order to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” the military said.
The 252nd Division’s activities are part of a broader military campaign to degrade Hamas’ operational capabilities following the collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza earlier this month.
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In recent days, the IDF has resumed fighting in northern Gaza, including in Beit Lahia, and now controls half of the Netzarim Corridor — a strategic east-west axis cutting through central Gaza.
Earlier Monday, the IDF issued a mass evacuation order for Rafah and nearby towns in southern Gaza — the largest such directive since the ceasefire ended — urging residents to move to the coastal zone of Al-Mawasi. While the order raised fears of a broader ground offensive, military officials said no full-scale operation in Rafah is currently planned.
The renewed military pressure comes amid faltering hostage negotiations. Israel has rejected a Hamas offer to release five hostages in exchange for a 50-day ceasefire, demanding instead the release of 11 living hostages and the return of the remains of half of the Israeli captives who have died in Hamas custody.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s strategy of combining military and diplomatic pressure was working. “It’s hitting Hamas militarily and politically while creating conditions for the release of our hostages,” he said.
Yoav Zitun and Einav Halabi contributed to this report