Footage of tunnels found in the Gaza Strip
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
More than two and a half months have passed since the beginning of the Gaza ground offensive, and the Israel Defense Forces continues to uncover new details about Hamas' extensive tunnel system.
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In a comprehensive article published Tuesday in The New York Times, it was revealed that the Israeli military estimates there are no less than 5,700 tunnel shafts in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli officials and IDF troops who have been inside the tunnels, alongside American sources both present and past who are familiar with the matter, expressed their astonishment at the scale, depth and quality of the tunnels constructed by Hamas. Some of the machinery used in the tunnel construction, documented in videos, also surprised the IDF.
In December, the IDF estimated the total length of the tunnels to be around 400 km. Now, senior military officials estimate that their actual length is much greater, ranging between 560 to 720 km.
According to documents reviewed by The New York Times, during a meeting in 2023 a senior IDF official stated that the tunnels would not be a significant factor in any future war against Hamas due to the strength of the IDF. This assertion has now been proven to be completely wrong.
A document from 2022 revealed that Hamas invested $1 million in tunnel entrances and underground factories in Khan Younis alone. Recently, the intelligence branch estimated that there are 160 km of tunnels just in Khan Younis, where most of the fighting is currently taking place.
According to another document from 2015, Hamas invested $3 million in tunnels throughout Gaza, including those built under civilian infrastructure and sensitive sites, such as hospitals and schools.
The IDF identified two types of tunnels – those serving commanders and those intended for terrorists. The tunnels for commanders are deeper and more comfortable, allowing for longer stays, and sometimes equipped with ceramic tiles. The other tunnels are more simple and often shallower.
Additionally, the army noted that documents were found, including lists of families who "hosted" tunnels in their private homes. In one case, IDF troops found a map of tunnels in a house in northern Beit Hanoun and used it to locate and destroy the tunnels.
A reservist in the Engineering Corps, now released, who supervised the destruction of almost 50 tunnels in northern Beit Hanoun, told The New York Times that all of them were booby-trapped. He mentioned that his unit found hidden explosives in the walls, including those that could be remotely activated.