(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The IDF revealed on Wednesday the first footage from the terror tunnel in Gaza’s Rafah where the bodies of the six hostages who were murdered in captivity last week were found and their bodies recovered and returned to Israel.
The video from the area close to the tunnel shaft shows dolls and wall paintings of cartoon characters including Snow White and Mickey Mouse in a children's room.
According to reports, forces from the 162nd Division and Shin Bet located the shaft leading to the tunnel in an "area surrounded by the enemy and extensively booby-trapped. This is a further example of how Hamas abuses civilian areas to hold hostages and carry out its terrorist activities," the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement.
Hamas had previously admitted its terrorists executed the hostages, likely out of fear of an IDF rescue operation in the area as Israeli forces were operating close by (former hostage Farhan Kadi was rescued about a kilometer away a few days earlier).
SSGT A., a soldier from the Yahalom unit, said in English in a video released by the IDF as part of a global campaign, "We received clear intelligence indication regarding a tunnel shaft in this area. We operated precisely in this location to dismantle the infrastructure and uncover the tunnel.
As you can see, this tunnel was hidden in a child's bedroom, a place for a child should [sic] feel safe and not be used as a human shield for Hamas. This is exactly what Hamas does. They hide behind the civilian population, putting them at risk. From this tunnel, we rescued the bodies of six Israeli hostages: Eden, Ori, Carmel, Almog, Hersh and Alexander."