Israel finds large tunnel at Gaza border, raising pre-war intelligence questions

The army said on Sunday that the tunnel facilitated the transit of vehicles, militants, and supplies in preparation for the October 7 attack

Israeli soldiers are seen in a tunnel that the military says Hamas militants used to attack the Erez crossing (Ariel Schalit/AP)

The Israeli military said it has discovered a large tunnel shaft in Gaza close to what was once a busy crossing into Israel, raising new questions about how Israeli surveillance missed such conspicuous preparations by Hamas for the militants’ deadly October 7 assault.

The entryway to the tunnel is just a few hundred metres from the heavily fortified Erez crossing and a nearby Israeli military base.