Daijiworld Media Network – Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, Nov 21: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have uncovered a major Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip where the body of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, killed during a 2014 ambush, was held by the terror group. Israel had received his remains earlier this month.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the IDF shared footage of the tunnel, which runs beneath a densely populated Rafah neighbourhood, passing through a UNRWA compound, mosques, clinics, and kindergartens. The tunnel had been used by Hamas commanders to store weapons, plan attacks, and extend their stays underground.

The IDF said the tunnel stretches over seven kilometres, is 25 metres deep, and contains 80 rooms. The elite Yahalom combat engineering unit and the Shayetet 13 naval commando unit discovered the complex, including command rooms used by senior Hamas leaders such as Muhammad Shabana, who was killed alongside Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar in May.

In a separate X post, the IDF confirmed the arrest of Marwan Al-Hams, a Hamas operative involved in the circumstances surrounding Lt. Goldin’s death. He is also suspected of having knowledge of the location of Goldin’s burial in the so-called “White-Crowned” tunnel in Rafah.

The IDF said the July 2025 operation was part of several confidential missions over the past six months aimed at recovering Lt. Goldin’s body and returning him to Israel for burial.