Gaza City

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), on Wednesday (Dec 27) announced that they have located and destroyed three tunnel shafts near Rantisi Children’s Hospital and a nearby school in Gaza City which they claim are connected to passages beneath the medical centre and are used by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. 

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Tunnels were being used as Hamas ‘command centre’: IDF

The three shafts “are connected by a wide underground network that runs under the hospital, is several kilometres long and leads to strategic points in the heart of Gaza City,” said the Israeli army, as quoted by the Times of Israel. 

The tunnel shafts were said to have been destroyed using explosives. According to the Israeli military, the tunnel at Rantisi was used by Hamas as a command centre. 

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Back in November, the IDF showed what it said was proof that the basement of Rantisi was used by Hamas to hide weapons and possibly hold hostages that were taken to Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel. 

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari, in November, showed what he claimed was an underground command centre under the Rantisi Hospital and had suicide vests, rocket-propelled grenades, along with baby bottles and improvised toilets which he said indicated that Hamas held hostages there. 

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According to the Israeli army, one of the three shafts found in a high school adjacent to Rantisi was equipped with an elevator heading down some 20 metres. While another shaft was said to be the home of a commander in Hamas’ naval forces and was equipped with a blast door. 

The tunnel network was demolished by combat engineers after being investigated, said the IDF. 

WHO says Gazans in ‘grave peril’

The World Health Organization, on Wednesday, said that the people in Gaza are in “grave peril” citing acute hunger and desperation throughout the war-torn Palestinian territory. This comes as Israel is facing growing criticism from across the world over mounting civilian casualties amid its war with Hamas in Gaza. 

The United Nations health agency said that it delivered supplies to two hospitals on Tuesday (Dec 26), and only 15 out of 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are functioning in any capacity at all.

ALSO READ | Gaza deaths soar as Israel says war to last 'many more months'

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on the international community to take “urgent steps to alleviate the grave peril facing the population of Gaza".

The Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry, on Wednesday (Dec 27) said that the death toll since the beginning of Israel’s retaliatory attacks has killed at least 21,110 people and left around 55,243 others injured. 

The conflict erupted when Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on October 7 resulting in the deaths of about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials. Palestinian militants also took over 200 hostages, 129 of whom remain in captivity, says Israel. 

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.