WATCH | IDF releases fresh footage of Hamas tunnels in Southern Gaza

The Israeli Defence Force released footage, which it claims to be an underground tunnel network of Hamas, where it believes Lt. Hadar Goldin was held captive since the 2014 war. On November 9, Hamas had already returned the remains of Goldin. The new footage released by the IDF claims that the tunnel originated in the Rafah neighbourhood, through a UNRWA compound, and runs through mosques, clinics, kindergartens, and schools. Israel has searched the area previously, even abducted a Palestinian Health Ministry Official, but could not find the remains of Goldin.

According to the IDF, the 7 km long tunnel is “one of the most significant and complex” underground networks and is about 25 metres deep. It has approximately 83 rooms, and acted as a shelter place for the Hamas operatives, as well as a weapon storage for planning attacks. However, the video released by the IDF has been edited and stitched together from different sets of clips, and it does not clarify the origin of the tunnel. IDF have released another video, which it claims to have recovered from the camera of a Hamas operative. The video shows Hamas operatives retrieving weapons from an underground tunnel, then it shifts to a 3D model of a tunnel. So it is difficult to corroborate IDF claims to verify the authenticity of these clips. Hamas operates a vast network of underground tunnels of at least 500 km, and there is no independent way to verify these. These tunnels are located in densely populated areas, and though Israel claims to have damaged the majority of the tunnels and shafts.