Gaza - November 20, 2025 The IDF announced that, in a joint operation led by the Southern Command and involving Yahalom engineers and Shayetet 13 naval commandos, forces uncovered the underground tunnel system in southern Rafah where the abducted soldier Hadar Goldin had been held in recent years. According to the military, the tunnel network is among the most extensive and complex discovered in Gaza to date. It spans more than 7 kilometers and reaches a depth of approximately 25 meters. The route runs beneath a densely populated residential neighborhood near the Philadelphi Corridor and continues under sensitive civilian areas, including an UNRWA compound, mosques, clinics, kindergartens, and schools. Inside the network, troops located around 80 rooms, including command centers used by senior Hamas figures for storing weapons, extended stays, and planning attacks against IDF forces. Among those identified as using the facilities was the Hamas Rafah Brigade commander, Mohammad Shabaneh. Forces from the IDF’s 162nd Division and the Gaza Division (143rd) operated in the area, securing the route and enabling the wider effort to expose the underground structure.