The operation began on the last Saturday night in the Khan Yunis area. Within two days, the IDF succeeded in gaining operational control of the area in order to facilitate the search for bodies in the tunnel. The operation involved a team that included the Paratroopers Brigade, a tank battalion, engineering units from the Yahalom Unit, and the Shin Bet.
With the identification of the tunnel, the IDF forces recognized the bodies of Hamas terrorists who were guarding the hostages, along with Kalashnikov rifles. It is estimated that some of the guards may have fled during the tunnel assault. The Hamas bodies were transferred to Israel alongside those of the hostages.
Behind closed concrete doors
The IDF troops conducted very thorough searches to ensure that no additional openings were concealed behind the concrete walls of the tunnel. During this search, a Yahalom unit soldier identified a loose concrete wall in the tunnel, which led to a branching passage where the hostage bodies were ultimately found.
The IDF reported that during the operation, its forces identified a tunnel entrance at a depth of about 10 meters leading to an underground route where the bodies of the hostages were found. Yahalom unit forces and Shin Bet operatives investigated the tunnel route, neutralizing blockages and blast doors and locating weapons, explosives, and items used by the Hamas terrorists.
Attached below is a 30-second video of the operation provided by the IDF:
Recent intelligence revealed that this tunnel network is linked to another network previously searched by the IDF, but due to the complexity of the tunnel layout, it was unclear whether they formed a single underground system.
According to some estimates, in previous maneuvers, the IDF was within 100 meters of the hostages' location. At this stage, it is still unclear how the hostages were killed. The IDF will likely thoroughly investigate their cause of death.