Israeli army discovers over 1,500 Hamas tunnels in Gaza Strip

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have discovered more than 1,500 tunnels and underground passages belonging to the radical Palestinian movement Hamas since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip on October 27.

"Since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, IDF troops have identified some 1,500 tunnels and underground passages belonging to Hamas. Most of these underground structures were discovered under schools, hospitals, mosques, UN facilities and civilian institutions," TASS reports, citing an IDF statement.

"Hamas is using civilians as human shields, and this is once again evident from the locations of underground facilities in the Gaza Strip," the IDF press office said.

It noted that "having discovered hundreds of tunnels and destroyed many of them using a variety of methods, the army's special forces detachment is conducting operational actions in the Hamas militant organisation's network of underground tunnels."

"Fighting in underground tunnels is a complex form of warfare involving the detection of terrorists' combat facilities and command centres," the press service continued, noting that "underground warfare is a combat strategy used by the Hamas terrorist organisation."