The Israeli army says it has broken open the sealed blast-door at the end of a suspected Hamas tunnel under the al-Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip.
The military published two pictures on social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, Tuesday evening showing the open door in a tunnel.
What exactly is behind the door remained unclear at first.
“Just through this door, underneath the Shifa Hospital, are Hamas’ terrorists tunnels.
“Here’s the PROOF of Hamas’ terrorism festering underneath hospitals,” the Israel Defense Forces said in their post on X.
However, the photographs were published without context and could not be independently verified.
The military suspects a command centre of the Islamist Hamas under the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip.
Buildings in the vicinity of the hospital were also suspected.
According to the army, a shaft uncovered a few days ago in the grounds of the embattled hospital led to a tunnel, at the end of which there was a locked “explosion-proof door” after 55 metres.
Israel says the tunnel leads to a network of Hamas tunnels and bunkers.
In spite of international criticism, Israeli soldiers have been engaging in combat operations in and around the Shifa hospital for days.
Israel accuses Hamas of misusing the hospital for “terrorist purposes.”
But Hamas denies this