IDF Seals 16km Tunnel Network

The Israel Defense Forces revealed on Monday the specific mechanics behind the recovery of Lt. Hadar Goldin’s remains, marking the first anniversary of his return to Israel.

The military disclosed that Hamas held Goldin in a tunnel system stretching more than 10 kilometers beneath southern Rafah. The route features three levels, with the deepest point located 30 meters underground. It passes under a dense residential neighborhood near the Philadelphi Corridor and extends beneath sensitive civilian infrastructure, including a UNRWA compound, mosques, clinics, kindergartens, and schools.

Troops identified approximately 80 rooms within the network. These spaces included command posts where senior Hamas leaders, such as Rafah Brigade commander Mohammed Shabana, stored weapons and planned attacks. In late June 2026, forces from the Yahalom combat engineering unit and Shayetet 13 sealed the entire 16-kilometer route using more than 30,000 cubic meters of concrete.

The search spanned more than 11 years, beginning after Goldin was killed in Rafah on August 1, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge. His body was taken by Hamas, leaving behind his parents, a sister, two brothers, and his fiancée. The military stated that the recovery effort contributed to the defeat of the Hamas Rafah Brigade.

In July 2025, Southern Command and Shin Bet forces arrested Hamas operative Marwan al-Hams. Military Intelligence guided the operation, suspecting al-Hams knew where Goldin was buried in the Dror Lavan tunnel. This arrest formed part of dozens of covert operations conducted over the years by the military and security agencies.

Hours after Goldin’s remains were returned on November 9, 2025, a Nahal Brigade combat team destroyed the original abduction shaft. The National Center of Forensic Medicine, working with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, completed the identification process before IDF representatives notified his family. Goldin was laid to rest two days after his return.