Three Israelis who were previously considered missing are now considered to have been taken hostage in the Gaza Strip, bringing the total back up to 136, IDF spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari announced.
At the request of the families, the names of the hostages were not immediately publicized. Two were subsequently identified as Tel Aviv resident Hanan Yablonka and Idan Shtivi from Ganei Tikva.
Reuven Yablonka, Hanan Yablonka’s father, told N12: “We now have hope. We’ve known for almost 100 days that he might have been captured – now we have received the positive news. We don’t know his condition, but we hope to understand more in the near future.”
Hamas military compound underground near the coast
Hagari also stated that IDF soldiers recently uncovered an underground Hamas military compound on the coast in the central Gaza Strip.
The discovery was made in late December during a raid in the center of the Strip spearheaded by reservists in the 179th Infantry Brigade, the Yahalom Unit, and Shayetet 13.
Wide-reaching, branching tunnels containing explosives and more
Israeli forces located several tunnel shafts leading into a wide-reaching underground network dotted with explosives and traps. They also found a weapons production site that, among other things, contained material used to extend the range of Hamas rockets.
IDF uncovers tunnel shafts as part of a large underground Hamas compound. January 4, 2023.
Once the raid was complete, the underground complex was destroyed by the Yahalom Unit.
This is a developing story.
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