The army of Israel says it has “neutralized” a large tunnel of Hamas. Fighters are said to have destroyed more than 90 kilometres of tunnels.
They were part of an underground corridor system known as a “city under a city”.
The military says Hamas has been working on the tunnel network for the past decade. “And we neutralized it in just five days.” The Palestinian movement would use the vast tunnels to move fighters, ammunition and other supplies.
The Israeli bombings have wreaked havoc on the infrastructure in the densely populated Gaza Strip. Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed or seriously damaged. Israel accuses Hamas of building tunnels under civilian houses.
The latest conflict between Israel and groups like Hamas has been going on for a week and a half. Militant Palestinians fired more than 4,000 missiles during that period, according to the Israeli authorities. The death toll from the battle stands at 240. The vast majority of victims were in the Palestinian enclave on the coast.
International pressure is growing to conclude a truce. German Minister Heiko Maas (Foreign Affairs) travelled to Israel to see what role the international community can play in this. He visits Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, among others.