Tunnels Conceal Hostages, House Militant Leaders

"KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip -- Beneath the rubble of a bombed-out residential neighborhood in Khan Younis lies a sprawling, subterranean complex built to shelter senior Hamas leaders and, for a time, used to hold Israeli hostages grabbed by the militant group, Israeli officers said.

An access shaft hidden in an unassuming family home leads to a sophisticated underground warren with several kitchens, fitted out with gas stoves and refrigerators, as well as sleeping quarters and bathrooms.

A metal-barred gate blocks the entrance to a chamber converted into a cell. Israeli investigators say forensic evidence indicates that at least 12 people kidnapped by the militants during their Oct. 7 assault on Israel were held in the complex.

Hamas has constructed a vast underground network of tunnels, barracks, armories and other facilities beneath Gaza's densely populated cities to hide its fighters, weapons and hostages from the Israeli forces hunting them.

Israel's military says there are hundreds of miles of tunnels in Gaza. Some, like the one where hostages were kept, appear meant to house militants for long periods. Others are used to transport goods and people, and some are designed to facilitate hit-and-run attacks.

The Wall Street Journal explored a tunnel complex below Khan Younis this week in a trip arranged by the Israeli military. The route to the scene was lined by piles of concrete and steel and blown-out carcasses of buildings.

In the middle of a devastated residential neighborhood, inside the hefty cement foundations of a destroyed house, was a narrow-arch structure -- the gateway to an underground compound. The entire block had to be laid to rubble to get to it, said Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus, who commands Israel's 98th Paratroopers Division and is leading Israel's fight in Khan Younis.

There are tunnel shafts all around Khan Younis, Goldfus said. "In the schools, in the mosques, in the supermarkets. Wherever you go there is a shaft going down into the underground world," he said.

The subterranean web under the neighborhood, in places 15 to 25 yards below the surface, appeared to have been abandoned with relative haste. Dishes remained in the sinks, blankets and mattresses littered the floors. Passageways were dark, dank, narrow -- just high enough to pass through in a crouching position.

The tunnel opened into a living complex with tiled floors. The vaulted chambers had ceilings roughly the height of an average apartment.

Military officials say their underground operations are focused on applying pressure on Hamas to force it to accept terms more favorable to Israel in a deal to return the hostages." [1]

1. World News: Tunnels Conceal Hostages, House Militant Leaders. Lieber, Dov.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 08 Feb 2024: A.16.