Israeli Military Releases Video of Tunnel Destruction in Southern Gaza
Israel's military released footage it says shows a two-kilometre tunnel in southern Gaza being destroyed, as a fragile ceasefire holds and reconstruction remains stalled.
The Israeli military on Friday released video footage that it says shows an underground tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip and its destruction.
In a statement accompanying the release, the military said the tunnel was approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) long. The footage, provided by the army, carries on-screen annotations describing an "underground tunnel route dismantled in the southern Gaza Strip" and the "dismantling of an underground tunnel route." One segment is presented in black and white aerial video said to show the tunnel being blown up.
The material was supplied by the Israeli military, and the dates, locations and conditions under which it was filmed could not be independently confirmed.
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, at least 73,922 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's subsequent offensive. The ministry's figures are generally regarded as reliable by the international community.
A ceasefire agreed to by Israel and Hamas last October halted the heaviest fighting and led to the release of the remaining hostages, but further steps have since stalled.
Israel maintains control over most of Gaza and continues to carry out airstrikes on Palestinians near military-held zones. Hamas has not disarmed or given up power, and no progress has been made toward reconstruction in the largely destroyed territory.