IDF destroys 50 Hamas tunnels on Gaza Egypt border
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit reported on Thursday efforts to dismantle tunnels in the Philadelphi Corridor are continuing, with dozens of shafts already being put out of commission. “Approximately 50 Tunnels were destroyed in the last week; the engineering forces of the 162nd Division continue to locate and destroy underground infrastructure in Rafah,” the military said.
“The soldiers of the Yahalom Unit and the 605th Battalion have been operating for the past month on the Philadelphi Corridor in Rafah. The soldiers have been locating and destroying underground and terrorist infrastructure. As part of the engineering activity, the soldiers destroyed approximately 50 Hamas underground tunnel routes,” it added.
In May, the IDF announced it seized control over the Philadelphi Corridor and had discovered 200 tunnel shafts and 35 underground routes, some of which crossed into Egypt. Two weeks later, however, a senior military official clarified in an interview with The Washington Post that estimated around 20 tunnels in the area remain undiscovered.
Two weeks ago, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announced it uncovered a three-meter-high (10-foot) tunnel, allowing for the passage of vehicles. It added, "The troops are continuing with the investigation and neutralization of the underground tunnel route, as well as other large-scale routes that were found.”
“The IDF will thoroughly destroy all the underground infrastructure on the Philadelphi Corridor and will act with determination to prevent their formation in the future,” it said in a statement.
This isn't the first time the IDF located a tunnel allowing vehicle passage in the Strip. Back in December, it announced troops uncovered a large tunnel complex that started beneath the Jabaliya refugee camp and extended approximately four kilometers (2.5 miles) toward the Israeli border.
The corridor, which serves as a buffer zone between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, is also central to the negotiations for a hostage deal. Hamas demands the IDF’s complete withdrawal from the Strip. Egypt has warned Israel not to approach the Philadelphi Route since the outset of the War.
Egypt's State Information Service head Diaa Rashwan insisted Egypt has destroyed over 1,500 tunnels and reinforced the border with Gaza. He said the barriers between Sinai and Palestinian Rafah don’t allow smuggling, neither above nor below ground, but images published by the IDF suggest otherwise.
An Egyptian source denied last week the "reports in the Israeli media about the existence of tunnels between Egypt and Gaza." He explained that was an "Israeli bail-out from the failure in Gaza," and added, "Israel's failure to make progress in Gaza leads it to publish claims about the existence of tunnels to justify the continued strikes on the Strip."