[LAUREN TAYLOR]

AS ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES PRESS ON IN THEIR MISSION TO ELIMINATE HAMAS –

ISRAELI SOLDIERS UNCOVER A MASSIVE HAMAS TUNNEL NETWORK UNDER GAZA.

AND IT’S EVEN BIGGER THAN THEY EXPECTED.

 SINCE THE IDF BEGAN ITS GROUND INCURSION OF GAZA IN OCTOBER – ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN ASSESSING THE TUNNELS – AND LAST MONTH THEY ESTIMATED THERE TO BE 250 MILES WORTH OF UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE IN GAZA. 

NOW – THE IDF TELLING THE NEW YORK TIMES – THEY’RE ESTIMATING THOSE NUMBERS TO BE BETWEEN 350 AND 450 MILES… ALONG WITH 57-HUNDRED SEPARATE TUNNEL SHAFTS.

KEEP IN MIND – THE GAZA TERRITORY IS ONLY 25 MILES AT ITS LONGEST POINT.

IDF OFFICIALS SAY – THEY HAVE EVIDENCE THAT HAMAS IS USING THE TUNNELS TO HIDE ISRAELI HOSTAGES – KIDNAPPED FROM ISRAEL ON OCTOBER 7TH.

THEY CLAIM THEY FOUND HOSTAGE DNA IN A BATHROOM – 8 FEET BELOW GROUND.

[REAR ADM. DANIEL HAGARI / IDF SPOKESPERSON]

“We found in this tunnel hostage remains, hostage DNA – hostages were held here, in this tunnel system.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR] 

ONE FORMER CIA OFFICER – WHO WORKED EXTENSIVELY IN THE MIDDLE EAST TELLS THE NEW YORK TIMES – “HAMAS HAS USED THE TIME AND RESOURCES OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS TO TURN GAZA INTO A FORTRESS.”

IDF SOLDIERS BACK UP THAT CLAIM – SAYING HAMAS USES THE ADVANCED TUNNEL SYSTEM TO MANUFACTURE AND TRANSPORT WEAPONS – LIKE ROCKETS AND MORTAR SHELLS.  

THEY SAY THIS IS FOOTAGE of “THE LARGEST WEAPONS PRODUCTION SITE” IDF SOLDIERS FOUND IN THE GAZA STRIP – WHERE HAMAS TERRORISTS PRODUCED “LONG-RANGE MISSILES CAPABLE OF REACHING NORTHERN ISRAEL.”

 IDF SOLDIERS SAY THEY’VE UNCOVERED TUNNELS UNDERNEATH HEAVILY POPULATED CIVILIAN AREAS – LIKE HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, AND EVEN RESIDENTS’ HOMES.

AND THEY FOUND A LIST OF GAZAN FAMILIES THAT “HOSTED” TUNNEL SHAFTS IN THEIR HOMES – ACCORDING TO THE TIMES OF ISRAEL.

[REAR ADM. DANIEL HAGARI / IDF SPOKESPERSON]

“Huge raids were coming out from Khan Younis on the 7th of October. They all came back here and they used this tunnel system in order to survive, embed themselves – as you see, we are here in a neighborhood – embed themselves in a civilian neighborhood in order to make it impossible for the IDF, unless it does a ground operation, to fire at this area or try to rescue the hostages in this area.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE FIRST HOSTAGE RELEASED BY HAMAS – AN 85-YEAR-OLD WOMAN – DESCRIBES WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE IN THE TUNNELS – AND THAT SHE FEARS FOR THE LIVES OF OTHERS STILL BEING HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS.

SHE SPOKE TO NBC’S RICHARD ENGLE:

[YOCHEVED LIFSHITZ / KIDNAPPED AND RELEASED BY HAMAS]

“TIME IS LIMITED FOR LIFE AND WHEN YOU’RE OVER THERE, THE LACK OF AIR IN THE TUNNELS, AS WELL AS THE SHORTAGE OF FOOD AND MEDICINE CAN BRING PEOPLE TO COMPLETE EXHAUSTION AND THEY JUST WON’T MAKE IT. THEY NEED TO GET OUT TODAY, OTHERWISE, THEY WON’T LIVE.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IDF INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS ESTIMATE HAMAS IS STILL HOLDING MORE THAN 100 HOSTAGES – IT’S UNCLEAR THOUGH HOW MANY ARE ALIVE.

THEY ALSO PLAN TO DESTROY HAMAS’ TUNNEL NETWORK – BUT FIRST NEED TO CHECK ALL OF THEM FOR HOSTAGES AND BOOBIE TRAPS.

IDF OFFICIALS SAY IT COULD TAKE YEARS TO DEMOLISH THE TUNNELS.