At least 130 Hamas tunnels have been destroyed by The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since the ground operation started in the Gaza Strip, the IDF said. According to an IDF spokesperson, the force is undertaking “significant military activity” in and around the embattled Gaza City. “IDF combat engineers are currently working to expose and destroy Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, including tunnels. Water and oxygen storage discovered inside the tunnels indicates Hamas’ preparations for prolonged stays underground. 130 tunnel entrances have been destroyed since the beginning of the war,” the IDF posted on X.
IDF combat engineers are currently working to expose and destroy Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, including tunnels. Water and oxygen storage discovered inside the tunnels indicates Hamas' preparations for prolonged stays underground.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 9, 2023
130 tunnel entrances have been… pic.twitter.com/McuxQHc1b2
Troops of the 460th Brigade with engineering forces found several tunnel entrances next to a structure with car batteries, where Hamas terrorists had prepared weapons and food to carry out an attack, the IDF said.
IDF says troops have found and destroyed some 130 tunnel shafts in the Gaza Strip since the ground operation began last month.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 8, 2023
Troops of the Combat Engineering Forces have been working to clear routes for ground forces to maneuver, locate and destroy Hamas assets, including… pic.twitter.com/B3ZEwtqmxd
The Israeli army has not given specifics on troop movements as it presses its ground assault, vowing to crush Hamas after its deadly Oct. 7 assault inside Israel. But residents said Israeli forces had moved into inner neighbourhoods of Gaza City amid intense bombardment all around the surrounding north. Clashes occurred within a kilometre (0.6 miles) of the territory’s largest hospital, Shifa, which has become a focal point in the war. The Israeli military says Hamas’ main command centre is located in and under the hospital complex and that senior leaders of the group are hiding there, using the facility as a shield. Hamas and hospital staff deny the claim and say the military is making a pretext to strike it. For Palestinians in Gaza, the hospital is a symbol of civilian suffering in the war. Like others, it has been overwhelmed by a constant stream of wounded and struggling as electricity and medical supplies run out. Tens of thousands of displaced people have been sheltering in and around the complex. The G7 nations issued a statement Wednesday condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to self-defence. But the group also called for the “unimpeded” delivery of food, water, medicine and fuel, and for “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has left open the possibility of small pauses to deliver aid but has ruled out a broader cease-fire unless some 240 hostages taken by Hamas are freed. “There are no limitations” on how long the war will last, Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s decision-making War Cabinet, said Wednesday. Gantz acknowledged that Israel does not yet have a vision for the Gaza Strip should it succeed in destroying Hamas rule, but said it will include an Israeli security presence in the territory after the war. This point echoed comments earlier in the week by Netanyahu, who said Israel would likely maintain security control of Gaza for an “indefinite period.” The prime minister’s comments appear to have heightened U.S. concerns. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a united and Palestinian-led government for Gaza and the West Bank after the war ends, as a move toward Palestinian statehood. The U.S. and Israel agree that the Hamas terrorist group cannot return to its rule of the Gaza Strip. But none of the ideas that Israeli officials have raised for Gaza’s governance after the war have included dependent Palestinian rule as a credible possibility. Support for the war remains strong inside Israel, where the focus has been on the fate of the hostages. With inputs from AP.


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