The Israeli military said on Wednesday it had discovered a network of tunnels used by “senior leaders” of the Palestinian movement Hamas in Gaza City, AFP reported.

According to images released by the army, this network of tunnels connected “terrorist hideouts, offices and apartments (…) belonging to senior Hamas leaders” in Gaza. Soldiers can be seen entering the basement of the house, which leads to a long tunnel and then to a furnished room.

This network, according to the army, is “in close proximity to shops, government buildings, homes and schools”.

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said the tunnels were used by “senior Hamas officials, including Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinuar, Mohammed Deif and others, to manage their operational activities” and “to protect them during their daily trips to central Gaza.” Israeli military representative.

On Sunday, the Israeli army announced that it had discovered the “largest tunnel” under the Gaza Strip, belonging to the armed wing of Hamas.

According to the army, the tunnel is more than four kilometers long and the entrance is just 400 meters from the Erez crossing between the Palestinian and Israeli territories.

The tunnel is equipped with a system of pipes, electricity, ventilation, sewage, communication networks and rails, according to an AFP journalist authorized by the Israeli army to visit it.

Hamas downplayed the discovery of the tunnel, saying it was built for a “mission” that was “successfully accomplished,” according to Osama Hamdane, a senior official in the Islamist movement.

A Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli territory on October 7 from the Gaza Strip, killing around 1,140 people, most of them civilians, AFP reported, based on the latest available official Israeli figures.

According to Israeli authorities, about 250 people were taken hostage, 129 of whom are still in Gaza.

In response, the Israeli authorities promised to destroy Hamas, which has been relentlessly bombing the Gaza Strip and conducting ground operations since October 27.

According to the Hamas government, 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Palestine since October 7.

• Follow the latest developments in the conflict between Israel and Hamas LIVETEXT on HOTNEWS.RO.