The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has located and destroyed three terror tunnel shafts belonging to Hamas terror organization near the Rantisi Hospital and in the nearby High School; the tunnel shafts, dozens of meters deep, are connected by an underground network passing under the hospital and leading to the heart of Gaza City
In recent weeks, IDF soldiers led by the 401st Brigade of the 162nd Division, in cooperation with Flotilla 13 and the ‘Yahalom’ Unit, located and searched three operational tunnel shafts near the Rantisi Hospital. ‘Yahalom’ soldiers searched the area along with the shafts and tunnels – using a variety of means for mapping the tunnels’ topography and the connections between the shafts. This operation revealed that the shafts are connected by a wide underground network passing under the hospital, spanning several kilometers, and leading to strategic points in the heart of Gaza City. The tunnel in Rantisi is close to a school and leads to another school in the area. The tunnel also served as a command and control center for conducting combat in the northern Gaza Strip and for carrying out terrorist attacks.
The operational shaft located in a girls’ school in the area is about 20 meters deep and includes an elevator and electrical infrastructure. Following intelligence information directed by Unit 504 of the Intelligence Directorate, another operational shaft was located inside one of the hideout residences used by one of the commanders of Hamas’ naval unit in the Gaza Strip. In the tunnels’ topography, junctions and blast-doors were located – designed to prevent IDF soldiers from breaking in and to protect against damage to the tunnel infrastructure.
In a joint operation of soldiers from the ‘Yahalom’ Unit and engineering soldiers from the 14th Brigade, the tunnel infrastructure and shafts were destroyed.
The exposure of the shafts near the hospital and school once again demonstrate Hamas’ cynical use of the civilian population. Exposing Hamas’ use of the residents of the Gaza Strip, including refugees and children, as human shields.
Additionally, during combat in the area of the hospital, soldiers of the 401st and 460th brigades killed dozens of terrorists. As part of the activity, the Tzabar Battalion and the 52nd Battalion carried out raids and scans of buildings in the hospital area, where significant terror infrastructure was found, including command and control centers, media equipment, maps, aids, and numerous weapons.
Here is footage of the area of the tunnel shaft and footage of the tunnel interior that was found near the Rantisi Hospital,
Here is footage of another shaft found near the Rantisi Hospital,
Here is footage of the demolition of the shafts near the Rantisi Hospital,
Here is an aerial photo of the area of the Rantisi Hospital and the location of the nearby tunnel shafts,
Here is footage of IDF soldiers’ operations in the area of the Rantisi Hospital,
Here is footage of the findings in the area of the hospital, presented by the commander of the Zabar Battalion from the 401st Brigade Team, LTC Aviran,
Here is a sync of a commander in the Yahalom Unit, Major “N”.
