Watan-The Hebrew channel “12” denied the information provided by the Israeli occupation army regarding the tunnel used by the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, which was named “Khan Yunis Tunnel” and extended about 500 meters into Israeli territory.
According to the Israeli army’s information, the tunnel was not used in the Operation Storm of Jerusalem and was completely under control during the war on Gaza. However, the Hebrew site revealed that the true story contradicts what the Israeli army claimed.
Khan Yunis Tunnel
The channel stated that new information revealed that days after the operation carried out by the resistance on October 7, 2023, resistance members emerged from the tunnel from its Gaza end and clashed with Israeli soldiers on multiple occasions.
Furthermore, Palestinian resistance fighters killed an Israeli soldier, Sergeant Tamir Barak, during one of these clashes. The Israeli force was reportedly maneuvering in preparation for a ground incursion into the sector, and an Israeli soldier was killed while others were injured after Hamas elements fired an RPG shell at the forces.
The channel explained that the new information indicates the existence of a tunnel inside Gaza near Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was close to the fence and also known to the Israeli occupation army.
The Israeli media refutes the Israeli army’s claim and says that the resistance used the Khan Yunis Tunnel to attack the Israeli army several times. It noted that resistance members exited this tunnel multiple times within the Gaza Strip and attacked forces entering the southern Gaza Strip.
The channel mentioned that the new information it received practically confirms that the Al-Qassam Brigades used this tunnel to attack Israeli forces near the fence during the early days of the war against Gaza, even before the ground maneuver.
According to what the Israeli army allowed to be published about the details of the “tunnel” a few days ago, it was discovered in 2019 and dug before the construction of the underground barrier, which was designed to deter the threat of tunnel infiltration, and has been under surveillance since then.
Israeli Army Claims Destruction of 3 Tunnels
The Israeli army claimed to have destroyed three attack tunnels belonging to Hamas in Khan Yunis earlier, one of which penetrated half a kilometer into Israeli territory.
Israeli media, quoting an Israeli army spokesperson, reported that “the tunnel that penetrated half a kilometer into Israeli territory in the area of Ein Hashlosha was discovered in 2019, dug before the construction of the underground barrier and has been under surveillance since then.”
According to Hebrew media, the Israeli army initially decided not to destroy it, but to install sensors and explosives inside it to thwart armed infiltration operations. However, the tunnel was destroyed in the last few days, along with the destruction of two other tunnels in the Khan Yunis area.