IDF says it sealed tunnel system where Hamas held remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin

A massive Hamas tunnel system in the southern Gaza Strip, where the terror group held the remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin for over a decade, was recently sealed by combat engineers, the IDF announces.

Goldin was killed and abducted by Hamas in 2014. The IDF scanned the tunnel for 18 months — starting in mid 2024 — but ultimately Goldin’s remains were recovered by Hamas members operating with the military’s permission after a ceasefire between Israel and the terror group came into effect in late 2025.

The underground labyrinth where his body was held ran over 16 kilometers (nearly 10 miles) long and extended some 25 meters (82 feet) deep, according to the military. It also featured some 80 separate rooms, including command posts for senior terror commanders.

The IDF said that the tunnel ran under civilian sites near the Strip’s Egyptian border, including a building belonging to UNRWA.

In the past three months, combat engineers worked to seal the underground passages using over 30,000 cubic meters of concrete, the IDF says, adding that “their mission is now complete.”