Israel Defense Forces releases shocking footage of a drone exploring a huge “Hamas tunnel beneath al-Shifa Hospital” – hours after Tel-Aviv soldiers discovered “at least 35 tunnel shafts” while combing wealthier areas of Gaza City
The Israel Defense Forces released shocking footage this evening revealing what they say is a huge Hamas tunnel buried deep underground al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.
The military, which has been carrying out an operation at the medical complex for the past week, said it found a 55-meter-long underpass located 10 meters underground.
Officials said they found a deep staircase equipped with “various defense mechanisms,” including an explosion-proof door with a firing port, alleging that the terrorist group was using the entrance to block Israeli forces.
Israel has long claimed that the hospital – the largest in the Palestinian enclave – serves as a Hamas command complex, with a network of tunnels running deep underneath, used for both ammunition storage and planning.
Palestinian officials working at the hospital denied the claims and insisted the complex was used only for medical purposes and had become a refugee shelter in recent days.
As the war enters its seventh week, the hospital has become the central site of the bloody conflict.
Since beginning operations in the area on Wednesday, the IDF has said it has found tthe bodies of two hostages – Israeli soldier Noa Marciano (19) and Yehudit Weiss (65), a cancer patient – in a building next to the hospital. The services claim that other people were most likely detained there.
Earlier this week, authorities claimed they had discovered an entrance to another tunnel shaft, but tonight was the first time any video had been made public.
It was also revealed today that soldiers allegedly discovered a white Toyota truck containing “RPG materials, explosives, grenades, AK47” on the hospital grounds “identical” to those used by Hamas during the October 7 attacks.
The footage was released just hours after Israeli forces said they had found 35 tunnel shafts across Gaza and raided the luxury homes of Hamas terrorists, seizing various weapons.
The Israel Defense Forces released shocking footage this evening revealing what they say is a massive Hamas tunnel buried deep beneath Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City
Israeli soldiers inspect the al-Shifa hospital complex during a ground operation against Hamas, in Gaza City, November 15, 2023.
Providing an operational update on the
“The entrance to the tunnel contains various defense mechanisms, such as a blast door and a firing port, which represent an attempt by Hamas to block Israeli forces from entering.”
Daniel Hagari, an IDF military spokesman, said the entrance was exposed when a military bulldozer demolished the outer wall of the hospital complex.
The soldiers then found a fortified shaft with a spiral staircase descending deep beneath the complex before reaching the blast door.
Hagari said his soldiers had not yet opened the doors for fear of booby traps.
Israeli intelligence, however, suggests that either the tunnel will split or a “large command and control space” will be created. Instead, forces will continue to search the area for shafts from nearby homes.
The Israeli army entered Al Shifa hospital for the first time on Wednesday, saying there were “around 2,000 people inside.”
Yesterday, hundreds of civilians and health workers were forced to leave the hospital on foot after Israeli soldiers ordered an evacuation through loudspeakers.
Gaza health officials said 450 patients remained in hospital after the army received a warning that many of them were too sick or injured to escape.
This evening, Israel released video footage of a tunnel it said was beneath Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City
The drone footage allegedly shows a shaft leading to a tunnel that the Israeli military says was used by Hamas terrorists
Israeli forces said they found the tunnel shafts last week, but this is the first time video footage has been released
This morning, paratroopers from the Nihal Brigade, supported by tanks, air force jets and armed with rocket launchers, carried out a series of airstrikes into the heart of Gaza City.
Six weeks into the war with Hamas, after the October 7 attacks killed more than 1,200 people, they carried out operations in the Sheikh Eylin and Rimal districts.
Officials said the neighborhoods were “upscale” and home to senior figures from the terrorist group, and the footage released showed soldiers attacking the buildings with tanks and rocket-propelled grenades.
After the operation, the seized items were put on display, including: weapons, ammunition, missiles, laptops and other documents that were examined by intelligence chiefs.
In addition, 35 tunnel shafts were discovered, and a training camp used by Hamas military intelligence was also attacked, killing “several terrorists”.
The Rimal district is considered an upscale district of the Gaza Strip where senior Hamas commanders lived and used civilian space to operate and direct terrorism.
There are also military outposts and government buildings in the area.
IDF forces from the Nahal Brigade located a terrorist squad that was about to fire on the soldiers from the roof of the apartment, and a jet was called in to fire on the building.
The Brigade Major said: “During searches in the Rimal area, we found a large number of weapons belonging to Hamas terrorists, including laptops, memory devices and technical documents.
“Other combat items including uniforms and shirts, knee pads and ammunition.
“Many of the documents contain details about psychological warfare and information about the IDF and how to carry out ambushes.”
Paratroopers from the Nihal Brigade, supported by tanks, air force jets and armed with rocket launchers, carried out a series of airstrikes into the heart of Gaza
The footage shows tanks rolling in and Israeli soldiers firing into buildings as they continue to bombard Gaza
About 35 tunnel shafts were discovered, and a training camp used by Hamas military intelligence was also attacked, killing “several terrorists”
The Rimal district is considered a luxurious district of the Gaza Strip, where senior Hamas commanders lived and used civilian space for activities.
Israeli soldiers line up as they continue to carry out attacks in Gaza and raid the homes of Hamas terrorists
Israeli forces can be seen among the rubble in Gaza carrying out airstrikes against the enemy
Israel says more than 372 soldiers have been killed since October 7, and since the start of ground operations last month, 52 soldiers have been killed and the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 12,000
IDF officials said its forces were working in the northern Gaza Strip and focused on Jabaliya, Zeytun and Beit Lahia, and navy ships were also used to attack the area from the sea.
Israel says more than 372 soldiers have been killed since Oct. 7, and 52 have been killed since the start of ground operations last month, with the death toll in Gaza surpassing 12,000.
