IDF Seals Underground Tunnel Network Where Lt. Hadar Goldin Was Held in Gaza

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) engineering units have completed the permanent sealing of an extensive underground tunnel network in southern Rafah, Gaza, where Lieutenant Hadar Goldin was held captive after falling in battle during Operation Protective Edge on August 1, 2014. The tunnel system, spanning over 16 kilometers with approximately 80 living chambers, was sealed using more than 30,000 cubic meters of concrete over three months of intensive work by the Yahalom unit and Shayetet 13 naval commandos.

This tunnel complex served as a central command and control hub for Hamas, specifically for the Rafah brigade commander in its military wing, facilitating terrorist operations against Israel. The subterranean infrastructure was located beneath civilian areas including residential neighborhoods, mosques, kindergartens, clinics, a school, and a UNRWA medical facility, consistent with Hamas's tactic of embedding military assets within civilian populations.

The operation to uncover and seal the tunnel was conducted by the Southern Command and was enabled by ongoing IDF efforts in Gaza since the start of the current conflict. The sealing was completed following the return of Lt. Goldin's remains to Israel under the November 2025 prisoner exchange framework. The IDF continues similar operations targeting underground infrastructure across Gaza and southern Lebanon to degrade terrorist capabilities.

The mission was described as historic and complex, requiring soldiers to work under dangerous conditions to ensure the entire tunnel system was fully sealed, thereby preventing its future use by terrorist groups.