Israeli forces destroy Hamas tunnel system built under cemetery, IDF says

The Israeli military blew up a tunnel underneath a cemetery in Gaza after discovering that Hamas terrorists were using the tunnel for its activities, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Monday.

Israeli soldiers raided the tunnel system in the Bani Suheila neighborhood in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, finding explosives, sliding doors and blast-proof doors, the IDF said. Terrorists were still inside, according to the Israeli military, and were killed.

The tunnels housed the office of a Hamas commander, an operations room, and living quarters for senior members of Hamas, according to the IDF. It said the tunnel was used to plan attacks against the military, as well as the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The tunnels were part of a complex underground labyrinth, according to the IDF, and was about a kilometer long and 20 meters deep. The Yahalom special engineering unit demolished the tunnel at the end of its investigation.

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The demolished cemetery, according to a satellite analysis by The Associated Press, appears to have been the Shuhadaa Bani Suheila graveyard. All that remained was a massive pit of rubble mixed with skeletal remains excised from the blasts.

Hamas terrorists launched the deadly attack on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 more hostage. Over 100 hostages were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners during a weeklong cease-fire in November.

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As Israel moves forward with a ground and air campaign in Gaza, Hamas officials in the besieged enclave say over 26,000 Palestinians have been killed.

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Since Israel declared war against Hamas on Oct. 7, it has repeatedly accused the Islamic terrorist group of using Gaza’s civilian areas, such as hospitals and holy sites, as cover for military use. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.