Jerusalem, 25 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Press Service of Israel visited a HamasTunnel in northern Gaza’s Shejaya area on Monday, providing a rare look inside the terror group’s underground network.
The tunnel interior. Israel estimates that Hamas may have dug more than 700 km of tunnels before the war, an astonishing figure for an area about half the size of New York City. Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL
Soldiers descend into the tunnel. Some tunnels are as deep as 70 meters underground, making their detection and destruction time-consuming. Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL
A soldier on guard by the tunnel entrance. Israel faces a race against time to destroy Hamas’s tunnel infrastructure, which still allows terrorists to hide, move, and re-emerge during combat. Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL
Shejaya buildings above the area of the tunnel shaft. Many tunnels run beneath — or can be accessed through — civilian buildings such as homes, schools, hospitals, and mosques. Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL
In November 2025, soldiers uncovered one tunnel network nearly seven kilometers-long beneath a densely populated Rafah neighborhood that featured more than 80 hideouts. Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL
Soldiers often find ventilation, plumbing, electrical, and filtration systems inside tunnels, indicating long‑term operational planning by Hamas. Some locations were used by commanders, some by lower-level gunmen, and some had signs that hostages were held there. Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL
Hamas is estimated to have spent tens of millions of dollars on tunnels. To build them, the group diverted concrete, metal beams, drilling equipment, industrial generators, and other “dual-use” materials. Israel therefore tightly restricts the entry of such items into Gaza. Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL
Related Topics
