From the hospital and nearby schools - to the heart of Gaza, underground: In recent weeks, IDF forces, led by a combat team of the 401st Brigade from the 162nd Division, and in cooperation with Shayetet 13 and the Yahalam unit, located and investigated three operational tunnel shafts in the area of the Rantisi Hospital.
Yahalam fighters scanned the area and explored the shafts and tunnels using a variety of means, in order to map the route of the tunnels and the connectivity between the shafts. This operation revealed that the shafts are connected by a wide underground network that runs under the hospital, several kilometers long, and leads to strategic points in the heart of Gaza City. The tunnel in Rantisi is close to a school and leads to another school in the area. The tunnel also served as a war room for conducting the war in the northern Gaza Strip and carrying out terrorist attacks.
Operational shafts in the Rantisi Hospital area, photo: IDF Spokesperson
The operational shaft located at the Ramez Fakhra girls' school in the area is about 20 meters deep and has an elevator and electrical infrastructure. Following intelligence information directed by Unit 504 of the Intelligence Directorate, another operational shaft was located inside one of the hiding apartments used by one of the commanders of the naval force in the Gaza Strip. Splits and blast doors were found along the route of the tunnels, which were intended to prevent our forces from penetrating the area and to protect against damage to the tunnels' route.
In a joint operation by Yahalam forces and engineering forces of the 14th Brigade combat team, the tunnel route and shafts were destroyed.
Activity of IDF forces and documentation Scanning of findings in the area of Rantisi Hospital Sabra Battalion commander of the 401st Brigade combat team // IDF Spokesperson
In addition, during battles in the hospital area, the combat teams of the 401st and 460th Brigades eliminated dozens of terrorists. As part of the activity, the Sabra Battalion and the 52nd Battalion carried out searches and local raids on buildings in the hospital area, where many enemy infrastructures were found, including war rooms, media, maps, aids and many weapons.
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