Just a 15-minute drive from the nearest Israeli town, in southern Gaza, the European Hospital in Khan Younis stands largely intact amid widespread devastation, with an Israeli flag and the Golani Brigade’s banner hanging side by side at its entrance. But beneath its emergency room lies a stark symbol of the war’s complexity: a vast crater leading directly to a Hamas tunnel.
According to the IDF, the underground passage is the same tunnel in which Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar, brother of his predecessor Yahya Sinwar, was killed. IDF officials say the site served as a key military command center for Hamas, from which the October 7 massacre was directed. The military confirmed Sunday that Sinwar’s body was found and positively identified in the tunnel, and released documents recovered from the site bearing his name.
3D illustration of the Hamas tunnel where the terrorist group’s leader Mohammad Sinwar was killed and operational footage from the site
(Video: IDF)
A statement by IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin from the Hamas terror tunnel beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis
(Video: IDF)
The IDF organized the media tour to showcase the tunnel to Israeli and international journalists alike, aiming to counter global criticism over Israeli strikes near hospitals. “Once again, Hamas proves its cynical use of medical facilities,” a senior officer said, noting that four other terrorists were found dead at the site, including the commanders of southern Khan Younis and Rafah.
A Golani reconnaissance commander involved in the raid said intelligence findings suggested a significant Hamas presence underground. “We were told Hamas was hiding key infrastructure below, and we needed to reach it,” he said. “This was a surgical, precise operation. First, we secured the above-ground hospital and quickly realized what we were looking for was beneath it—then we located the senior command room.”
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The entrance to the ER of the European Hospital in Khan Younis
(Photo: Roni Green Shaulov)
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Documents belonging to Hamas chief Mohammed Sinwar located in the underground tunnel beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis
(Photo: IDF)
Addressing criticism of Israel’s operations near medical centers, the commander emphasized restraint. “The IDF conducted extensive research before entering the hospital, which we had not touched throughout the fighting despite constant clashes around it. Only once we confirmed what was underground did we move in, and with a specialized force,” he said.
“Hospitals are places of healing, but just under the ER, Hamas built a machine of death. This was done under the guise of a European-funded medical facility. That’s the answer to anyone questioning our actions.”
The commander added that while the hospital appeared normal and pastoral on the surface, further inspection revealed significant Hamas infrastructure: intelligence equipment, command systems, explosives and weapons. “We launched a highly targeted night raid with detailed intelligence and cleared the hospital,” he said. “This is a blatant, cynical use of a humanitarian facility for warfare.”
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IDF forces remove Hamas chief Mohammed Sinwar's body from an underground tunnel beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis
(Photo: IDF)
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Ynet correspondent Roni Green Shaulov at the European Hospital in Khan Younis
(Photo: Roni Green Shulov)
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The underground tunnel beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis
(Photo: Roni Green Shulov)
The operation, launched on May 13, began with a series of targeted airstrikes. Dozens of precision-guided bombs were dropped by the Israeli Air Force with the aim of trapping senior Hamas operatives inside the tunnel beneath the European Hospital. According to the IDF, the explosions released toxic gases that killed the terrorists inside. Only after the gases had dissipated did Golani Brigade forces enter the tunnel on foot.
The tunnel runs roughly seven meters deep and stretches for hundreds of meters beneath the hospital. The main chamber, where the terrorists were found, lies about 20 meters from the emergency room entrance revealed by the IDF. In that room, soldiers recovered M-16 rifles believed to have originated from the IDF. Further along the tunnel, they discovered additional rooms and even a kitchen.
The IDF confirmed the killing of Mohammed Sinwar, as well as Muhammad Shabana, the commander of Hamas’ Rafah Brigade. “During the search of the underground route, items belonging to Sinwar and Shabana were located along with other intelligence material now under analysis,” the IDF said. The bodies of additional terrorists were also found; their identities are still being verified.
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A bus lies partially swallowed by a collapsed section of road caused by one of the blasts outside the European Hospital in Khan Younis
(Photo: Roni Green Shulov)
The IDF emphasized that the strikes were conducted around the hospital’s main building and did not damage the building itself or harm any patients. “We went in selectively,” a senior commander said, “to preserve the building so it could potentially be reused or medical equipment retrieved.”
As of now, the hospital stands largely intact, though it has been emptied of staff and patients. Craters from the airstrikes mark the surrounding area, including a massive hole at the ER entrance. In one symbolic image, a bus lies partially swallowed by a collapsed section of road caused by one of the blasts.
Commanders say the current mission is to take control of both the above- and below-ground areas of southern Khan Younis. At a media briefing outside the hospital, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said, “This was one of Hamas’ command-and-control hubs for the October 7 attacks. Their use of hospitals is cynical, and you can see where European funding ended up. Hamas murders its own people. In contrast, we’re feeding the population, distributing thousands of food packages daily. Our ground operation has a clear goal: first and foremost, the return of the hostages and the dismantling of Hamas rule. We will not live with Hamas in the day after.”