Troops destroyed Islamic Jihad tunnel network in Gaza City’s Shejaiya — IDF

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Troops of the Yiftah Brigade operate in a Hamas tunnel in Gaza City's Shejaiya neighborhood, in an image published January 7, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Troops of the Yiftah Brigade operate in a Hamas tunnel in Gaza City's Shejaiya neighborhood, in an image published January 7, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF says troops of the Yiftah Reserve Brigade recently raided and later destroyed a tunnel network and the home of a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood.

In the eastern part of Shejaiya, the IDF says the reservists located a tunnel shaft belonging to Islamic Jihad, which led to an underground network. Nearby, the troops found a rocket launcher.

In the northern part of Shejaiya, the Yiftah Brigade located several tunnel shafts near the home of Ahmed Samara, who the IDF says is responsible for Islamic Jihad’s tunnels in northern Gaza.

In Samara’s home, the IDF says troops recovered several weapons, an Islamic Jihad instructional booklet, a tactical plan for the October 7 onslaught and a book about Adolf Hitler.

While working to demolish the tunnels near Samara’s home, the IDF says operatives opened fire and set off explosive devices inside the underground passages.

It says the troops spotted suspicious activity from inside the tunnel before the explosion, retreated and called in artillery strikes.

Combat engineers later destroyed the tunnels, weapons and 12 buildings in the area above the underground network, some of which were booby-trapped, according to the IDF.

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