IDF releases footage of sealed 16-km Hamas tunnel where Hadar Goldin was held

The IDF Southern Command, in a joint operation with the Yahalom special engineering unit and Shayetet 13, has completed the neutralization of one of the most significant tunnel networks discovered in the Rafah sector. The complex, which the military says was used to hold the remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin for years, required more than 30,000 cubic meters of concrete to seal. Goldin, who was killed in action on August 1, 2014, was eventually returned for burial in Israel in November 2025.

Strategic Command Center

According to material reviewed by The Zioneer, the tunnel was not merely a hiding place but a sophisticated military infrastructure. It contained approximately 80 living quarters and functioned as a command-and-control center for Hamas. The IDF stated that the commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade used the facility to plan and direct terrorist operations. The network was strategically positioned near the Philadelphi Corridor, running beneath civilian infrastructure including residential neighborhoods, mosques, kindergartens, and a UNRWA clinic.

Engineering Achievement

The sealing process took three months of intensive work by engineering troops from the Gaza Division and the Southern Command. The release of the footage—which includes 3D illustrations and clips of Yahalom operators inside the shafts—serves as a visual confirmation of the scale of Hamas's subterranean investment. By neutralizing this 16-km artery, the IDF aims to permanently degrade the ability of Hamas's Rafah remnants to utilize the border area for tactical maneuvers or command activities.