The Israel Defense Forces said the 188th Armored Brigade, under the Gaza Division, completed eight months of combat in the southern Gaza Strip, destroying over 10 Hamas tunnel routes. One of the tunnels was used to hold hostages. The forces also located launchers, explosives, and weapons, and established new positions to strengthen the defensive concept in the area.
The IDF announced Thursday that the 188th Armored Brigade, operating under the Gaza Division (143), has completed an eight-month combat mission in the southern Gaza Strip focused on clearing the 'yellow line' area of terror infrastructure. The forces, working with the Yahalom combat engineering unit, destroyed over 10 Hamas tunnel routes, including one that was used to hold Israeli hostages. The military did not provide further details on the hostages or the timing of their captivity.
The announcement follows a bulletin The Zioneer published at 17:46, which reported that the IDF had destroyed tunnels in Gaza, including a hostage tunnel, without specifying the brigade. The 188th Brigade's mission also included the destruction of launchers, explosives, and weapons, and the establishment of new positions to strengthen the defensive concept in the area.
The broader campaign to dismantle the Hamas tunnel network in Gaza has been a central focus of IDF operations. As The Zioneer reported on July 2, Defense Minister Israel Katz and the IDF chief of staff confirmed that 83% of tunnels in the designated yellow line area had been destroyed. The completion of the 188th Brigade's mission marks a tactical milestone in the southern sector, though the military continues to operate in the strip.
3 developments
- StrongIDF destroys additional Hamas tunnel hundreds of meters long in northern Gaza
- StrongIDF says it demolished five Hamas tunnels, 2 km long, in northern Gaza
- DevelopingIDF destroys over 10 underground tunnel routes in Gaza, including hostage-holding tunnel
- DevelopingIDF weekly ops: over 1 km of Gaza tunnels destroyed, 60 suspects arrested in Judea and Samaria
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