IDF destroys kilometer-long terror tunnel in central Gaza; bombs a mosque used to store arms

A kilometer-long tunnel was recently located and destroyed by IDF troops in the Netzarim Corridor area of the central Gaza Strip where Israeli troops control an East-West strip that divides the territory in two, the military says.

The IDF says the tunnel — located by troops serving under the 99th Division — included several branching paths that were used by terror operatives to move around the area.

The tunnel was blown up by troops of the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit.

Also in the Netzarim Corridor, the 99th Division’s forces — the Alexandroni Reserve Infantry Brigade and 8th Reserve Armored Brigade — killed dozens of gunmen and destroyed more than 100 sites belonging to terror groups in the past two months — since being deployed there — according to the military.

The IDF says the sites included weapon depots, observation posts, rocket launching sites and tunnels.

The army also says a recent airstrike was carried out against a mosque that was used by gunmen as a staging ground, and that it identified secondary blasts following the attack, indicating the site was used to store weapons.

The Netzarim Corridor, built around a road south of Gaza City, enables the IDF to carry out raids in northern and central Gaza while allowing Israel to control access to the north for Palestinians seeking to return after fleeing south. It also enables Israel to coordinate deliveries of humanitarian aid directly to northern Gaza.