The Israeli military has released a video showing what it claims to be a tunnel shaft under the al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza. The tunnel, which runs 55 meters in length and is 10 meters deep, was discovered during the Israeli army’s ongoing siege of the medical facility. The army published the footage on its official Telegram channel, revealing a soldier descending into the tunnel through a staircase and an arched concrete passage that ends with a blast-proof door and a firing hole.
According to the Israeli army, the tunnel was found alongside a shed containing numerous weapons, including RPGs, explosives, and Kalashnikov rifles. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, stated that the entrance to the tunnel was uncovered when a military bulldozer knocked down the outside wall of the hospital complex. However, troops have not attempted to open the blast-proof door, fearing it may be booby-trapped. Hagari also mentioned that there could be access shafts from nearby houses, prompting continued searching in the area.
Al-Shifa Hospital has been a focal point of Israeli operations since the army entered the facility, claiming it harbors a Hamas command center. However, both Hamas and hospital staff deny this allegation. The Israeli army’s discovery of the tunnel has raised concerns about the extent of underground infrastructure in Gaza.
In addition to the tunnel, the Israeli army announced that a captive soldier was executed and two foreign captives were being held at al-Shifa Hospital. The army is currently searching for approximately 240 people whom Hamas had kidnapped to Gaza after a cross-border assault. Among the hostages was a 19-year-old Israeli army conscript, Noa Marciano, whose body was recovered near al-Shifa last week. Hamas claimed she died in an Israeli airstrike, but a forensic examination conducted by the Israeli military revealed that she had sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The siege of al-Shifa Hospital has drawn international outcry, with the World Health Organization describing it as a “death zone.” The facility, which sheltered more than 7,000 people, including critical patients and newborn babies, was forcefully evacuated over the weekend. Thirty-one premature babies were transferred to other hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
While the Israeli army’s discovery of the tunnel raises concerns about underground infrastructure, critics argue that it is not surprising given the history of tunnel networks in Gaza. The ongoing situation at al-Shifa Hospital highlights the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the challenges faced by civilians in the region.
