IDF Finds Tunnel in Khan Younis Where 20 Hostages Were Held in ‘Inhumane Conditions’
Troops of the Israel Defense Forces operating in the southern Gaza Strip recently uncovered a tunnel where Israeli hostages had been held by the Hamas terror group “in harsh and inhumane conditions,” the military revealed Saturday night, January 20.
In a press conference, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that through “precise intelligence,” soldiers had found an entrance to the vast tunnel network beneath the home of a Hamas commander in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis. He said troops battled Hamas gunmen as they first entered the tunnel, killing them.
“The tunnel was rigged with explosives and blast doors designed to protect the terrorists and prevent the advancement in finding our hostages,” Hagari said. Citing intelligence assessments, the IDF said Hamas invested millions of dollars in building the tunnel.
“After walking about a kilometer in the tunnel, at a depth of about 20 meters underground, the soldiers found a central chamber where, according to testimonies of hostages who returned from Gaza, we understand that they spent most of their time,” he said. No hostages were found in the tunnel when the troops arrived.
Some hostages previously held in the tunnel have already been released, he said, noting that the soldiers found drawings made by five-year-old Emilia Aloni, who was freed in November, among other evidence. Hagari said that further into the tunnel, troops found five narrow holding cells, each with a mattress and a toilet.
“According to the testimonies we have, about 20 hostages were held in this tunnel at different times under harsh conditions without daylight, in dense air with little oxygen, and terrible humidity that makes breathing difficult,” he said. (TOI / VFI News)
“Lord, we ask that You help our military forces retrieve all the remaining hostages currently held by Hamas. We pray continually for their overall health and well-being. We pray for an intervention that will result in all hostages returning home and reuniting with their loved ones.”
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