The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Monday that they had attacked and destroyed a Hamas subterranean weapons manufacturing factory on the shore of central Gaza in a daring operation.
According to the IDF, the operation, which lasted over a week, involved soldiers from the 179th Armored Brigade, the Navy's Shayetet 13 commando unit, and the special Yahalom combat engineering unit.
The troops infiltrated a Hamas compound, where they discovered several tunnel shafts leading to an underground network spanning hundreds of meters. Inside the tunnels, the troops found a cache of weapons, including mortars, grenades and RPGs, the IDF said.
The troops also located several more tunnel shafts nearby, which led to another underground network of branching tunnels. The IDF said the tunnels featured blast doors, and behind them, the troops uncovered a weapons manufacturing plant. The underground room had machinery, cooling fans, explosive materials and rocket fuel, the IDF said.
According to Times of Isreal, the troops then destroyed the tunnels and the weapons plant, using explosives and combat engineering techniques, the IDF said.
The IDF hailed the operation as a major blow to Hamas' military capabilities and a significant achievement for Israel's security. The IDF said it will continue to monitor and thwart Hamas' attempts to build and smuggle weapons in the Gaza Strip.
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