The tunnels stretch about seven to ten kilometers and lead to dozens of residential areas and Hamas command posts.
After more than a year of demolitions and investigations, the Israel Defense Forces have revealed the “White Sparrow” tunnel system beneath Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where the remains of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin have been held since Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
The excavation and search for Goldin’s remains was carried out by soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces’ elite Shayetet 13 and Yahalom units, with assistance from the military’s Corps of Engineers.
“We tried to use a variety of available tools to determine the length and depth of the tunnel and where it would lead,” explained Lieutenant Colonel G, Shayetet 13’s platoon commander. After the initial assessment was completed, the team mapped the tunnel network and created access points for the Engineer Corps.
“It’s almost like a subway,” said Yahalom commander Captain M, who explained that the tunnel stretches some seven to ten kilometers and leads to dozens of residential areas and Hamas command posts.
He described the tiles on the tunnel walls, each of which had to be removed to find hidden shafts, “behind each tile we could find a Hadar, a command post or a terrorist hideout.”
“We worked effectively on two fronts,” said Lieutenant Colonel R of the Gaza Division’s engineering corps. “Special forces like Yaharom operated in the tunnels and actively searched for clues, while the battalion worked on the ground.”
“Hadar keeps us going, even if we don’t see the light of day”
“We found a large command and living area behind one of the tiles,” M said, noting that weapons and other equipment were also found during the search for Goldin. “These moments show us [Hamas’s] Danger and cunning heighten the importance of our mission. “
“The work is detailed and tiring and never easy. We think about Hadar every day and he always reminds us why we are here.”
Goldin’s remains were returned to Israel in November 2025 as part of the U.S.-backed Gaza peace deal.
“We stayed there for a year and a half, facing new challenges every day, and in the end, we helped Hadar return home,” G concluded. “Even when the darkness feels endless and the narrow walls seem to close in on us, we know what we’re working towards.”
“Even if we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, Hadar’s ideas keep us going.”
