Troops from the 7th Brigade and the Yahalom Unit have uncovered a terror tunnel spanning one and a half kilometers (about a mile) in the southern Gaza Hamas stronghold of Khan Younis and a Hamas outpost in the heart of a residential neighborhood, next to two local schools.
One of the branches of the tunnel led to a long route leading to a lab and a lathe for manufacturing rockets underground — the largest such lathe uncovered so far in southern Gaza.
As the forces advanced in the area, terrorist cells opened fire with light weapons and RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) in an attempt to prevent the forces from entering. The terrorists also detonated the tunnel shafts in an attempt to prevent the forces’ entrance to the underground network.
The forces fought battles with many terrorists, responding with fire, killing the terrorists at short range with machine gun fire, mortal shells and aerial support.
The entire underground tunnel route was scanned, investigated and destroyed.
“This activity is part of the effort to destroy the weapons and rocket production capabilities of Hamas in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF noted.
Forces from the Givati Brigade are continuing their operations in the area of Khan Younis, which has been encircled by the IDF in recent days.
The Israeli fighters have eliminated dozens of terrorists in multiple encounters, along with artillery, tank and air force support.
The fighters have also raided Hamas military outposts with intelligence guidance that has led to the discovery of dozens of weapons, Kalashnikov rifles, RPG missiles, cartridges, grenades, uniforms and more.
