IDF Seals Over 16-Kilometer Underground Tunnel in Rafah Used by Hamas

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) engineering units in the Gaza Division and Southern Command have completed sealing an underground tunnel system in southern Rafah where Lieutenant Hadar Goldin was held captive. The tunnel, extending over 16 kilometers, was sealed over the past three months using more than 30,000 cubic meters of concrete. According to the IDF spokesperson, the tunnel included approximately 80 living chambers and served as a Hamas command and control center. It was used by the commander of the Rafah Brigade in Hamas's military wing to facilitate terrorist operations. The tunnel ran near the Philadelphi Route and passed beneath residential neighborhoods, mosques, kindergartens, clinics, a school, and a UNRWA clinic.