Khan Younis, January 2024 – Of the 17 tunnel shafts marked on a map by military intelligence, only 14 were located on the ground by the forces. One of the three that were not found was hidden beneath a house entered by troops from Division 98 for a sweep.
The soldiers were unable to locate the shaft and eventually exited and cleared the house. It later emerged that directly beneath that same house were the masterminds of the October 7 terrorist attack: Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, as well as Rafah Salameh, commander of the Gaza Brigade. According to a source who spoke to Shishabat, the three unmistakably heard the footsteps of soldiers walking in the house directly above them. "If we had found that shaft, that would have been the end of their story," the source said.
Video: Last Moments of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Credit: IDF Spokespersons Unit
All three are now confirmed dead: Deif and Salameh were killed together in July 2024, and Sinwar was eliminated a few months later, in October.
While the IDF troops were searching inside the house, other units from Division 98 were methodically advancing through the underground network. One of these units eventually reached the underground hideout where Sinwar and Deif had been hiding. In fact, the troops did locate the shaft hidden inside the house - but from below.
However, the Israeli force that had been above ground had already left the house. In the short window between the departure of the above-ground unit and the arrival of the subterranean one, Sinwar, Deif, and Salameh managed to emerge from the tunnel disguised as women and flee for their lives.
In his escape, Sinwar left behind documents and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. Forensic samples taken later from the hideout, along with video camera footage, confirmed that Sinwar, Deif, and Salameh had indeed been there.
IDF troops discovered the underground compound shortly after the trio fled. They found plates still filled with food prepared for the Hamas leadership. "The coffee was still hot," recalled Division Commander Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus in an interview with Israeli media.
