The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Sunday the discovery of the largest tunnel found so far by military engineers in the two-month-old conflict against the Hamas terror group. The vast subterranean structure was located near the Erez border crossing in northern Gaza.
Referring to the design as “no ordinary tunnel," and a "terrorist city," IDF Spokesperson Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a press conference that the structure was 165 feet under the surface and was at least 2.5 miles long.
In addition to excavation activity, Hagari told reporters that the builders had outfitted the construction with utilities, blast doors, ventilation, vehicular capability, and a communication system.
The Times of Israel reported that the IDF discovered “many weapons” inside the complex.
Considering the significant time and cost that it would have taken to complete such a complicated endeavor, Israeli military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, criticized the Hamas leadership in a regular briefing for prioritizing terrorist infrastructure over civilian social services.
Since the start of Israeli military activity in Gaza, Hamas has used its tunnel network to launch multiple attacks against the IDF throughout the coastal enclave.
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