In a major blow to Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they have located and demolished a secret apartment belonging to the terrorist group’s leader Yahya Sinwar in northern Gaza.
The apartment, which was used by Sinwar as a hideout, was also connected to a large and sophisticated tunnel system that ran under it.
According to Sky News, the IDF said that the apartment was discovered by the 14th Reserve Armored Brigade on the outskirts of Gaza City. The elite Yahalom combat engineering unit then investigated the apartment and found a tunnel shaft that led to the underground network.
According to the IDF, the tunnel shaft was about 20 meters deep, and the tunnel itself was 218 meters long, with several branches.
The tunnel was equipped with electricity, air filtration systems, plumbing, resting and prayer rooms, and other amenities that allowed senior Hamas members to stay hidden for long periods of time.
The IDF said that they found “many findings” in the apartment that confirmed that it was used by Sinwar as a hideout. The IDF did not specify what these findings were, but they could include documents, weapons, or communication devices.
The IDF said that the tunnel was later destroyed by combat engineers, along with the apartment. The IDF said that the operation was part of its ongoing efforts to target Hamas’s underground infrastructure and leadership in Gaza.