Tel Aviv — Throughout the conflict in Gaza, Israel's military has frequently discussed the difficulties posed by the extensive tunnel network constructed by the Hamas militant group beneath the Palestinian territory. Israel claims that Hamas, a long-standing terrorist organization according to the U.S., Israel, and numerous other nations, has utilized these tunnels for transporting supplies and carrying out attacks — including their unprecedented assault on October 7, which triggered the ongoing conflict.
On Friday, CBS News was accompanied by troops from the Israel Defense Forces as they toured the breach caused by Hamas militants on October 7 in the protective wall surrounding the Erez border crossing into Gaza. The path was marked by destruction caused by the Hamas militants during their violent rampage.
Since that day, the Erez crossing has become an integral part of a highly complex war zone. Israeli forces enter and exit through the breach in the wall, conducting ground operations in the Gaza Strip as they persistently pursue Hamas militants.
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Israeli forces recently made a stunning discovery just 500 yards inside the border. They uncovered the entrance to an enormous tunnel that stretched about two miles long and was wide enough to accommodate a small car. The tunnel, made with reinforced concrete and descending more than 50 feet underground, was part of a vast network used by Hamas militants to conceal weapons and hold hostages. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were surprised by the scale of the illicit infrastructure found so close to the Israeli border, despite their knowledge of Hamas' tunnels.
"This is the largest tunnel we have ever found," said IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari, who accompanied CBS News inside the tunnel. He emphasized the complexity of the IDF's mission to rescue the approximately 130 hostages still believed to be in Gaza, while also combating the Hamas fighters responsible for the kidnappings.
"It means hunting them down and fighting them wherever they are — inside the tunnels and above the ground," Hagari explained.
Naturally, this poses risks for the hostages still held captive in Gaza.
"I think we are managing the risk," Hagari stated. "Remember that rescuing our hostages — we want to bring our hostages back alive, back home. It's very complex. We want them alive, back home."
Later that day, it was revealed that the IDF had mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages in Gaza. The hostages had come out shirtless and holding a white flag, but were still shot by the soldiers. This incident has raised concerns and questions about why the troops fired on unarmed men in the first place.
