The Israel Defense Forces announced that troops have destroyed a one-kilometer Hamas attack tunnel discovered just hundreds of meters from the Israeli border fence. According to the IDF, the tunnel was located in the central camps area of Gaza, a zone that has been under Israeli operational control in recent weeks, and was designed to facilitate cross-border terror attacks into Israel.

IDF-released video footage shows soldiers systematically demolishing the underground structure, which contained three rooms used by Hamas operatives and stockpiled with weapons. Military officials said the tunnel was clearly intended to reach the Israeli border fence, posing a direct threat to nearby civilian communities and military positions.

The operation was carried out on January 22, 2026, by forces from the Kfir Brigade in coordination with the elite Yahalom engineering unit, which specializes in underground warfare and tunnel destruction. The discovery highlights the continued presence of Hamas infrastructure even in areas under Israeli control and underscores the group’s ongoing efforts to rebuild its terror capabilities.

Israeli officials emphasized that the tunnel’s proximity to the border demonstrates Hamas’s persistent strategy of exploiting ceasefire periods to prepare future attacks. Despite recent de-escalation efforts, the IDF stated that underground threats along the Gaza-Israel “Yellow Line” remain active and require constant intelligence and operational pressure.

The destruction of the tunnel is part of Israel’s broader campaign to eliminate Hamas’s subterranean network, which has been repeatedly used for weapons storage, command operations, and attempted infiltrations. The IDF reaffirmed its commitment to preventing cross-border attacks and ensuring the security of Israeli civilians living near Gaza.