Israeli military says 11 kilometres of Gaza tunnels dismantled

The Israeli military says it has located and dismantled approximately 11 kilometres of underground tunnel routes in the Beit Hanoun area of northern Gaza during a large-scale engineering operation carried out over recent months.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops from the Northern Brigade and the Yahalom special engineering unit, operating under the 252nd Division, were deployed in the area east of the so-called Yellow Line to dismantle both above-ground and underground infrastructure and to protect communities in Israel’s western Negev region, Caliber.Az reports. 

According to the military, Beit Hanoun has been one of the most complex combat zones during the war, with forces engaging militants in multiple encounters. The IDF said its troops were involved in continuous operations against armed groups in the area.

The statement said the area had long been used as a stronghold by Hamas, with what it described as extensive underground networks constructed beneath residential buildings, public facilities, and roads. It added that these tunnels were used to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel.

As part of the operation, hundreds of missions were conducted, resulting in the dismantling of more than 11 kilometres of tunnel routes and the destruction of hundreds of surface-level infrastructure sites, according to the IDF.

The military also said an additional three kilometres of tunnels had been destroyed during combat operations earlier in the war, and that numerous militants had been killed by forces operating in the area.

By Sabina Mammadli