The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recently achieved a major victory in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, where soldiers discovered and destroyed six terror tunnels containing a trove of weapons and valuable intelligence.
One of the tunnels is considered a “flagship” tunnel for Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed terrorist organization fighting alongside Hamas.
The Israel Times report Tuesday:
One of the destroyed tunnels is considered by the Israel Defense Forces to be Islamic Jihad’s “flagship” tunnel in Gaza City. A military assessment said the recently discovered 2.5-kilometer (1.5-mile) tunnel was used by the terrorist group for command and control. Soldiers found laptops, weapons and intelligence materials inside, indicating its recent use by the terrorist group.
The 98th Division’s operation in Shejaiya, which began on June 27, came after the IDF announced it had identified Hamas operatives regrouping in the area and received new intelligence about the terror group’s existing infrastructure.
The IDF also released a video showing the destruction of one of the tunnels in a statement.
Business update from Shejaiya:
– Eliminate 150+ terrorists
– 6 terrorist tunnels destroyed
– The building containing the bomb is demolished
– Dozens of weapons and intelligence documents discoveredWhile investigating the tunnels, a branching tunnel system was discovered. Several… pic.twitter.com/8qpBHd5Csx
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 9, 2024
For over a week, the Airborne Brigade, 7th Brigade and Yahalom Forces, under the command of the 98th Division, have been fighting both above ground and underground in the Shejaiyah area.
The division’s soldiers engaged in close combat with the terrorist group, eliminating more than 150 terrorists, destroying terrorist facilities, finding and destroying bomb-trapped buildings and explosives, and also found dozens of weapons and intelligence documents left behind by the terrorists.
As a result of intelligence and engineering efforts, soldiers discovered tunnel shafts and key tunnel routes. In a division-level operation, six terror tunnels approximately six kilometers long were discovered and destroyed. Soldiers continue to search for and destroy tunnels in the area.
During the tunnel investigation, Yahalom Unit soldiers discovered an underground tunnel system consisting of branching tunnels, some of which housed terrorist hideouts and control and command centers, and in one of the tunnels weapons and intelligence documents were found.
Gaza City is in the northern part of the Gaza Strip and was the center of IDF operations in the early weeks of the war. The IDF has since shifted its focus to the south, but has returned there multiple times to deal with terrorists using the terror tunnels to return to the area.
The U.S. State Department on Monday paid a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Israel Defense Forces. Said Damage in the southern Gaza city of Rafah has not been as severe as in other areas and has not been as severe as the Biden administration had anticipated.
“We believe the IDF did an excellent job in Rafah,” said Israeli government spokesman David Mensah. He added that Hamas had hoped to cause more civilian casualties there. “They are outraged that more Palestinians have not been killed.”
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