The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA, or “Shin Bet”) revealed Sunday that soldiers had uncovered a deep and extensive tunnel shaft beneath Shifa Hospital in Gaza, which likely would lead to further tunnels beneath the facility.
OPERATIONAL UPDATE: IDF and ISA forces revealed a significant 55-meter-long terrorist tunnel, 10 meters underneath the Shifa Hospital complex during an intelligence-based operation.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 19, 2023
The tunnel entrance contains various defense mechanisms, such as a blast-proof door and a firing… pic.twitter.com/tU4J6BD4ZG
The IDF has been telling the world the truth about the Shifa Hospital.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 19, 2023
The operation is ongoing and is being conducted carefully, all in order to locate and dismantle Hamas infrastructure in the hospital.
Still don’t believe us? See for yourselves the evidence shown by IDF… pic.twitter.com/4H9hWJpnID
The IDF and ISA released a joint statement:
Based on IDF and ISA intelligence, IDF troops exposed a 55-meter-long terror tunnel 10 meters deep underneath the Shifa Hospital complex.
A deep staircase leads to the entrance of the tunnel shaft, which consists of various defense means including a blast-proof door and a firing hole. This type of door is used by the Hamas terrorist organization to block Israeli forces from entering the command centers and the underground assets belonging to Hamas.
The tunnel shaft was uncovered in the area of the hospital underneath a shed alongside a vehicle containing numerous weapons including RPGs, explosives, and Kalashnikov rifles.
IDF and ISA forces are continuing to uncover the route of the tunnel.
…
The findings clearly prove that numerous buildings in the hospital’s complex are used by Hamas as cover for terrorist infrastructure and activities. This is further evidence of the cynical manner Hamas uses the residents of the Gaza Strip as a human shield for their murderous terrorist activities.
The IDF has been exploring the tunnels slowly, as many are thought to be booby-trapped, and have claimed the lives of several Israeli soldiers already. Four reservists were killed by a booby-trapped tunnel ten days ago, and a combat engineer from the elite Yahalom tunnel unit was killed on Saturday.
Israel has been criticized for operating in the hospital but the IDF has uncovered extensive evidence that Hamas used it as abase of operations, corroborating earlier reports by groups like Amnesty International.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
