IDF Reportedly Details Rafah Tunnel Where Hamas Held Hadar Goldin’s Remains

The IDF has reportedly provided new details about a Hamas tunnel in southern Rafah where the remains of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin were held during the final years before their return. According to a November 9 report, the underground route extended more than 10 kilometers across three levels, reaching a maximum depth of 30 meters. The report appeared a year after Goldin’s return for burial in Israel. The reported account describes an operation involving the Commando formation, Yahalom combat engineers and Shayetet 13 naval commandos. The route passed beneath a densely populated residential neighborhood near the Philadelphi Corridor, continuing under an UNRWA compound, mosques, clinics, kindergartens and schools. In a separate announcement on June 29, 2026, the IDF said Yahalom and Shayetet 13 had completed sealing an underground tunnel stretching more than 16 kilometers. The IDF said, “The operation used more than 30,000 cubic meters of concrete, and has now been completed.” The IDF said the tunnel contained about 80 living quarters and served as a Hamas command-and-control center, including for the commander of its Rafah Brigade to plan terrorist operations. Goldin was killed in battle and abducted on August 1, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge. His remains were returned in November 2025 through the hostage-return framework, the IDF said in its June statement.