ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated:

Over 800 tunnel shafts have been discovered in Gaza since Israel's ground invasion against Hamas began, of which, 500 have been destroyed, the IDF announced on Sunday.

Many of the tunnels connected strategic Hamas locations underground and were located in civilian areas, such as in or near kindergartens, mosques, and children's playgrounds, amounting to further evidence of Hamas's use of Gaza's civilian population as a weapon of war.


Palestinian terrorists from the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, stand inside an underground tunnel in Gaza August 18, 2014.
Palestinian terrorists from the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, stand inside an underground tunnel in Gaza August 18, 2014. (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM)

Weapons found in tunnels<br><br><br>

In some of the tunnels, the IDF found weapons and other Hamas material that were abandoned as terrorists fled south within the Strip.

After discovery, the IDF carries out in-depth research to understand the layout of the tunnel network and then prepare it for demolition. The 500 tunnels so far destroyed have been done so with a mix of explosives, blockages, and flooding.

Hamas has spent many years and billions of dollars perfecting its underground tunnel network, with many routes leading into Israeli territory. It was also where many of the Israeli hostages captured on October 7 were kept when they were taken back to Gaza.