HELL ON EARTH
Chilling photos show cages, children’s drawings and filthy mattresses as Israeli forces ‘uncover Hamas hostage tunnel’
Rigged with blast doors and explosives, the underground labyrinth lied under the home of a Hamas commander
ISRAELI forces said they have discovered another Hamas tunnel where 20 hostages were allegedly held in inhumane conditions.
Chilling photos shared by the IDF appear to show cages, filthy mattresses and children's drawings inside the terror hellhole in southern Gaza's Khan Younis.
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Images also show what appears to be a hot water heater, electrical infrastructure, mattresses on the floor, blankets, fan, water bottles, trash.
There was also what appears to be a kitchenette with a sink and some dishes, including pots, pans and plates, as well as canned food, cooking oil and cleaning detergents.
Clothing, presumably worn by hostages, was also found, Israel's reports.
Troops claim they found the entrance to the tunnel network, which stretches for half a mile, beneath the home of a Hamas commander.
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Israeli hostages had been held by the Hamas terror group “in harsh and inhumane conditions,” the IDF said Saturday night.
Described as suffocating and humid, the tunnel was said to be filled with obstacles and booby traps, reported.
“The tunnel was rigged with explosives and blast doors designed to protect the terrorists and prevent the advancement in finding our hostages,” IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said.
"After walking about a kilometre [0.6 mile] in the tunnel, at a depth of about 20 metres underground, the soldiers found a central chamber where, according to testimonies of hostages who returned from Gaza, we understand that they spent most of their time."
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Hagari explained that further into the tunnel, troops found five narrow holding cells, each with a mattress and a toilet.
"We saw five caged cells where we believe up to 20 hostages were held at various times, without any daylight, hardly any air, a lack of oxygen and terrible humidity," the IDF spokesman said.
No hostages were found when Israeli troops arrived.
Some of the hostages previously held in the tunnel had already been released, he added, saying that the soldiers discovered drawings allegedly done by five-year-old Emilia Aloni, who was freed in November after 54 days in captivity.
“According to the testimonies we have, about 20 hostages were held in this tunnel at different times under harsh conditions without daylight, in dense air with little oxygen, and terrible humidity that makes breathing difficult,” Hagari said.
“Some of them were released about 50 days ago, and some are still held in Gaza and may be under even harsher conditions, including very elderly people who need medication and help."
The IDF stated that when forces moved inside the tunnel, they encountered six Hamas gunmen, who were killed in a fire duel.
And when forces came and stormed the underground network, Hamas most likely relocated the captives housed in the tunnel, the military claims.
The tunnel was said to be destroyed after troops completed their search.
It comes after Israeli forces said they discovered what could be Hamas' biggest rocket factory.
The underground facility was said to be hidden beneath a civilian evacuation road and protected by human shields.
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The workshops would be where terrorists were said to produce long-range missiles capable of hitting targets in northern Israel.
The Middle East has become a powder keg unsettled by Israel's ongoing war against Hamas, Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea, and recent clashes and strikes between Iran and Pakistan.
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