(NewsNation) — Much of the Israel-Hamas conflict is being waged below ground in the intricate and extensive labyrinth of Hamas tunnels known as the “Gaza Metro.” The sprawling subterranean network is not only used to hide and transport fighters but also as hostage-holding cells.
NewsNation correspondent Robert Sherman went underground this week for a closer look at the tunnels, including the largest one the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has found since the war began following the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.
“You descended deep underground where the sunlight can’t reach,” Sherman told NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas. “It’s a dark and damp labyrinth with no end in sight.”
And for the hostages who have been released, they say it’s a nightmare down in the tunnels. A new report from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum noted conditions in the tunnels have caused serious respiratory and mental health issues.
Beneath the surface, the massive undercity sprawls hundreds of miles. A tunnel Sherman toured is wide enough for a car to drive through and had what appears to be a high level of infrastructure.
“All of the concrete, this took years, this took millions of dollars. Then you add in what’s above, a ventilation tube. You see the wiring as well, grounding wire,” Sherman described while walking through the tunnel.
The IDF showed Sherman what is, to date, the largest tunnel the IDF has found since the conflict started. It’s not even a quarter of a mile from the Israeli border.
The tunnel descends into the abyss, 50 meters down and four kilometers in length. It leads all the way into the heart of Gaza.
“It’s not until you return to the surface that you realize these tunnels weave a lethal web,” Sherman said.
The IDF says they have found about 1,500 underground tunnels in Gaza. What they don’t know is how many more are yet to be discovered.