Israeli Army Destroys Communication Tunnels of Hamas Leaders

On Thursday, December 21, the Israeli army announced that it had destroyed a network of tunnels deep within Gaza City that were used by Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, leaders of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces discovered this underground secret network on Wednesday, December 20. These tunnels connected the offices and residences of senior Hamas officials. According to reports, Hamas leaders used this underground network to manage the operations of the group's militants. Sinwar and Deif are referred to as the masterminds behind the October 7 attacks on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians. Images shared by the Israeli army with reporters on Wednesday showed that the tunnels, accessible via spiral staircases and elevators down to 20 meters underground, were equipped with electricity, plumbing, surveillance cameras, and blast-proof doors. Israel has previously accused Hamas of placing tunnels and other military infrastructure in civilian areas while using civilians as human shields. Hamas has denied these accusations. A few days earlier, Israel had also announced the discovery of a large concrete tunnel designed for transporting Hamas militants' equipment from Gaza to the border of the country. The Israeli army discovered equipped tunnels in the homes of Hamas officials in Gaza City. An American official stated: 'Yahya Sinwar's days are numbered.' The Israeli army successfully conducted a trial operation of pumping seawater into Hamas tunnels.