RAFAH, Gaza Strip: In southern Gaza, the soldiers squeezed through a small tunnel opening one by one. Some bowed their heads to avoid the low ceiling in a dimly lit hallway, keeping an eye on their steps as they passed broken plastic bottles, ripped mattresses, and jagged concrete.
As the two-month-old Israel-Hamas ceasefire approaches a crucial juncture, Israel’s military allowed journalists to enter Rafah, the city at the southernmost point of Gaza that Israelis captured last year and mostly destroyed. Since the start of the conflict more than two years ago, Israel has prohibited foreign journalists from entering Gaza, with the exception of infrequent, short visits overseen by the armed forces, like this one.
Journalists were escorted by soldiers into a tunnel that they claimed was one of Hamas’ most important and intricate underground passageways, connecting cities in the conflict area and utilized by senior Hamas commanders. Israel claimed that Hadar Goldin, a 23-year-old soldier who was slain in Gaza more than ten years ago and whose remains had been held there, was a hostage held by Hamas in the underground corridor.
As part of a ceasefire in the conflict mediated by the United States following the terrorists’ October 7, 2023, offensive on southern Israel that resulted in 1,200 deaths and hundreds of hostages, Hamas returned Goldin’s remains last month.
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