Israel Says Ground Operation in Northern Gaza is Nearing End, Underground Terror City Discovered
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are reportedly close to completing their ground offensive in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, having significantly dismantled the presence of Hamas battalions in the region, according to IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.
The IDF has taken control of a hidden underground network of tunnels, which functioned both as a shelter for top Hamas leadership and as a passage to above-ground locations near Palestine Square and Gaza City.
Regarding the Hamas tunnel network discovered beneath Palestine Square in Gaza City, Hagari, during a briefing, stated, “Senior Hamas members directed the combat operations on October 7 from this area.”
Palestine Square, situated in the affluent Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, was previously regarded as the hub of the enclave’s elite. It is known as the residence area for high-ranking officials from the terror group that governs the Strip.
“From this infrastructure, they were able to spread across Gaza. From the heart of Gaza City, senior Hamas officials were able to reach Shifa Hospital, leave there in an ambulance to travel south, and return to Shifa Hospital, enter the [tunnel] network, and go north to Rantisi Hospital,” Hagari said.
According to the IDF, Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, and Muhammad Deif utilized this network to coordinate the organization’s operations and movements throughout the heart of Gaza City. The military has referred to this area as “Commander’s Square.”
In a Wednesday statement, the army characterized the complex as an “underground terror city,” featuring a “strategic tunnel route that links to other major underground infrastructures in the Gaza Strip.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, indicated that the military was entering “another significant phase of the offensive” targeting new areas.
“This offensive will continue and keep moving forward. It will continue with pressure against the enemy above ground and underground,” Finkelman told his troops as he visited the frontline in Southern Gaza.
The IDF reported on Wednesday that two soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of military fatalities to 134 since the ground operation in the Gaza Strip began.
Hamas has claimed that 20,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza war-related violence, with additional bodies believed to be trapped under rubble. However, these figures have not been independently verified. Israel, on the other hand, asserts that over 7,000 of these fatalities were Hamas terrorists.
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