Tel Aviv, November 21, 2025 — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Thursday revealed footage and detailed findings of what it has described as one of the largest and most sophisticated Hamas tunnel networks ever discovered in the Gaza Strip. The sprawling underground system, located in southern Gaza, underscores the scale and complexity of Hamas’s so-called “Gaza Metro”, long viewed as a central pillar of the group’s military strategy.
Key Features of the Newly Exposed Tunnel Network
- Vast Length: Stretching over 7 kilometers (4.3 miles), the tunnel forms a major subterranean route used by Hamas militants.
- Deep Underground: The network lies about 25 meters (82 feet) below the surface, making detection and neutralisation extremely challenging.
- 80 Multi-Purpose Rooms: The complex includes an estimated 80 chambers, each designated for operational, logistical, or residential use.
Strategic and Operational Functions
According to the IDF, the tunnel served as a major operational axis for Hamas:
- Command Hubs: Several rooms operated as command posts for senior figures, including Muhammad Shabana, the former Rafah Brigade commander.
- Weapons Depots: Chambers were stocked with weapons, explosives, and military equipment.
- Long-Term Living Quarters: Some areas were designed for extended habitation, enabling Hamas operatives to live and plan attacks underground for months at a time.
- Hostage Location: The IDF confirmed that the site allegedly held the remains of Israeli soldier Lt. Hadar Goldin, reportedly kept by Hamas for years before their return to Israel last week.
Tunnel Route Beneath Civilian Zones
The IDF emphasised that the network ran beneath heavily populated civilian areas near the Philadelphi Corridor, amplifying the humanitarian and tactical challenges of dismantling such structures.
The underground route allegedly extended under:
- An UNRWA compound
- Multiple mosques
- Clinics and medical centres
- Kindergartens and schools
According to Israeli officials, the positioning of the tunnel beneath sensitive civilian locations demonstrates Hamas’s long-standing tactic of embedding military infrastructure within densely populated neighbourhoods.
Elite Units Behind the Operation
The tunnel was mapped and exposed during a Southern Command operation in Rafah, carried out by:
- The IDF’s elite Yahalom combat engineering unit
- Naval commandos from Shayetet 13
Both units specialise in underground warfare, demolitions, and complex urban combat.
A Glimpse Into a Larger Challenge
The discovery adds to a growing list of vast underground networks uncovered since the escalation in Gaza. Israeli officials say the tunnel illustrates the immense scale of Hamas’s subterranean capabilities and the long-term challenge faced by the IDF in dismantling the “Gaza Metro” — a network believed to span hundreds of kilometers.
