Inside the Gaza tunnels that Israel says must be destroyed before reconstruction can begin
When you cross into the enclave, the completely paved roads and green farms of Israel’s border region disappear, replaced by destruction and dirt roads as you enter northern Gaza and the much-destroyed neighborhood of Shujaiya where the tunnel was located. Soon, the sound of gunshots could be heard simultaneously.
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, the spokesperson of the IDF, said that it seems that some of the Hamas soldiers brought their family members to hide in the tunnel, a privilege that they did not give to the people of Gaza as they were attacked. NBC News could not independently verify the claim.
Acknowledging that it was an estimate, Shoshani said there could be anywhere between 300 to 600 miles of tunnels beneath the site. But it was hard to tell because the Israeli army was still exposing them.
“The more you search, the more you find things you didn’t know,” he said, adding that his forces were “finding tunnels and demolishing them,” as part of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan “so you can rebuild this area. The rebuilding wouldn’t start until they were destroyed, he said.”
Hamas was still in Gaza and its fighters had not laid down their weapons, which is central to Trump’s plan, Shoshani said. “We will not stop protecting our people until they lay down their weapons,” he added, adding that they could be used to attack Israel again.
No Palestinians were seen during the nearly two-hour visit as none of them live in the area, which sits east of the “yellow line,” which separates the parts of the enclave under Palestinian and Israeli control. Just over half of the area is still controlled by the IDF.
On the other hand, the rest of the Palestinian population, sitting at about 2.3 million before the attack led by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Health officials in the area say that more than 72,000 people have been killed in the Israeli military campaign, which began after Hamas launched repeated attacks on Israel, killing 1,200 people and more than 200 civilians.
Conceived as a temporary border, the “yellow line” – designed using yellow concrete blocks – has instead become a flashpoint, as some Palestinians who have approached it have been shot dead by Israeli forces.
Israeli soldiers have been accused of repeatedly crossing the border and moving blockades inside, sowing confusion among Palestinians – which the IDF has repeatedly denied.
On the other side of the “yellow line” in Gaza City in a dilapidated tent, Iman Khzeiq, 70, said on Monday that he hopes to one day be able to return to Shujaiya with his six grandchildren, who he now cares for alone.
“Their father was killed,” he said in an interview while sitting in a wheelchair. “Now I am their mother and father.”
Khzeiq, who said he suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure, added that instead of going to school, children spend their days looking for water and food. But he was determined to stay close to their home “even if we live on top of the rubble.”
