The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Wednesday that they have successfully demolished 130 tunnels connected to Hamas since commencing their military operation in the Gaza Strip, reported CNBC.

Hamas has invested significant efforts over decades to construct an extensive network of tunnels in Gaza. These tunnels often extend more than 100 feet underground, and the IDF has referred to this subterranean system as the "Gaza metro."

According to CNBC, this intricate tunnel system provides Hamas with a strategic advantage, enabling them to shield their activities and launch surprise attacks against Israeli ground forces.

The tunnels also facilitate the storage of weapons and explosives. Hamas maintains weapon stockpiles, electrical generators, and command and control centers that remain concealed from aerial detection underground.

Israeli officials claim that Hamas operates a key command center under al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza and uses tunnels beneath schools, hospitals, and mosques to conceal weapons and militants.

Hostages, including an 85-year-old woman captured on October 7, have reported being transported through these tunnels and held in underground chambers, according to the Wilson Center.

"Underground, long tunnels that connect to hospitals and schools are connected by them — they have communication rooms, ammunition warehouses, places to stay, and everything in order to be used as a base of terrorism to harm the citizens of the State of Israel and the soldiers of the IDF," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at a press briefing Tuesday, according to an NBC translation from Hebrew.

The Israeli military cites the need to eliminate Hamas following a terror attack on October 7 that resulted in approximately 1,400 casualties and over 240 hostages.

In response, Israel has launched relentless airstrikes, initiated a deep ground incursion in northern Gaza, and imposed a complete siege on the already blockaded area, cutting off essential resources to its 2.3 million inhabitants.

Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza report over 10,300 casualties, with roughly half of them being children. The U.N. and international aid agencies have raised concerns about a growing humanitarian crisis.

The IDF has announced an additional four-hour humanitarian window on Wednesday for civilians to safely leave Gaza City southward, emphasizing the urgency of evacuation.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the consensus among Group of Seven ministers, who met in Japan Wednesday, stressing the importance of a humanitarian pause in the Israel-Hamas conflict. This pause is crucial for increasing humanitarian aid, facilitating the evacuation of foreign nationals, and securing the release of hostages still held by the Palestinian militant group in Gaza.

Qatar is reportedly taking the lead in discussions to secure the release of 10 to 15 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a 1-2 day cessation of Israeli hostilities, according to a source briefed on the negotiations who spoke to the AFP on Wednesday.

"We know they're waiting for us," one Israeli soldier, who declined to be named due to his role in Israel's security service, told CNBC. "And as bad as Gaza is above ground, underground is much worse."

• Israel Helps Brazil Thwart Domestic Attack by Hezbollah Cell
• Sen. Cotton Urges AG Garland to Probe Israel Protesters