RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — One by one, the soldiers pushed through a narrow entrance to a tunnel in southern Gaza. Inside a dark hallway, some ducked their heads to avoid hitting the low ceiling, watching their step as they walked over or around chipped concrete, crushed plastic bottles and torn mattresses.
On Monday, Israel’s military took reporters to Rafah — the southernmost town in Gaza that troops seized last year and largely flattened — as the two-month Israel-Hamas ceasefire reaches a critical point. Israel has banned international journalists from entering Gaza since the war began more than two years ago, except for rare, short visits overseen by the military, such as this one.
The soldiers escorted the journalists inside a tunnel, which they said was one of the most significant and complex underground routes of Hamas, connecting the cities in the beleaguered territory and used by the main commanders of Hamas. Israel said that Hamas held the body of a hostage in the underground passage: Hadar Goldin, a 23-year-old soldier who was killed in Gaza more than ten years ago and whose remains were kept there.
Hamas returned Goldin’s body last month as part of a US-brokered ceasefire in the war sparked by the militants’ October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took hostages. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which operates under the Hamas-led government. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but says that approximately half of the dead were women and children.
Israel and Hamas are at the point of ending the first phase of the truce, which ordered the return of all hostages, alive and dead, in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel. The body of only one other hostage has yet to be returned.
The mediators warn that the second phase will be much more challenging as it includes more painful issues, such as the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israel from the strip. Israel currently controls more than half of Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington this month to discuss those next steps with US President Donald Trump.
Piles of rubble line the streets of Rafah
Last year, Israel launched a major operation in Rafah, where many Palestinians had sought refuge from offensives elsewhere. Heavy fighting left much of the city in ruins and displaced nearly a million Palestinians. This year, when the military was largely in control of the city, it systematically demolished many of the buildings that remained standing, according to satellite photos.
The troops also took control and closed the Rafah’s vital crossingGaza’s only gateway to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel.
Israel said Rafah was the last major stronghold of Hamas and the key to dismantling the group’s military capabilities, a key goal of the war.
Driving around Rafah on Monday, towers of mangled concrete, wires and twisted metal lined the streets, with few buildings still standing and no relief. Remnants of people’s lives were scattered on the floor: a foam mattress, towels and a book explaining the Koran.
Last week, Israel said it was ready to reopen the Rafah crossing but only for people to leave the strip. Egypt and many Palestinians fear that once people leave, they will not be allowed to return. They say that Israel is obliged to open the crossing in both directions.
Israel has said that entry into Gaza will not be allowed until Israel receives all the remaining hostages in the strip.
Inside the tunnel
The tunnel through which the journalists were escorted passes under what was once a densely populated residential area, under a United Nations compound and mosques. Today, Rafah is a ghost town. Underground, journalists picked their way around dangling cables and uneven concrete slabs covered in sand.
The army says the tunnel is more than 7 kilometers (4 miles) long and up to 25 meters (82 feet) deep and was used for weapons storage as well as long-term visits. He said top Hamas commanders were there during the war, including Mohammed Sinwar — who was believed to have led Hamas’ armed wing and was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who helped lead the October 7 attack. Israel said he killed them both.
“What we see here is a perfect example of what Hamas has done with all the money and equipment brought into Gaza over the years,” said Lt. Colonel Nadav Shoshani. “Hamas took it and built an incredible underground city for the purposes of terror and holding bodies of hostages.”
Israel has been accusing Hamas of siphoning money for military purposes. While Hamas says Palestinians are an occupied people and have a right to resist, the group also has a civilian arm and ran a government that provided services such as health care, a police force and education.
The army has not decided what to do with the tunnel. He can seal it with concrete, blow it up or keep it for intelligence purposes among other options.
Since the ceasefire began, three soldiers have been killed in clashes with around 200 Hamas militants who Israeli and Egyptian officials say are still underground in Israeli-held territory.
Hamas said that communication with its remaining units in Rafah has been cut off for months and that it was not responsible for any incident that occurred in those areas.
Both Israel and Hamas accused each other of repeatedly violating the agreement during the first phase. Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the hostage returns, while Palestinian health officials say more than 370 Palestinians have been killed in ongoing Israeli strikes since the ceasefire came into effect.
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Editor’s Note: This article was submitted for review by Israel’s military censor, who made no changes.