The IDF announced Wednesday that its 99th Division has concluded a four-month military operation in northern Gaza, during which Israeli forces eliminated more than 100 terrorists, destroyed approximately eight kilometers of underground tunnels and dismantled numerous Hamas military installations.

According to the military, the operation dealt a significant blow to Hamas’s remaining infrastructure in the area, with troops targeting both active terrorist positions and facilities that could be used to rebuild the organization’s fighting capabilities.

Among those eliminated were Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7, 2023, massacre, individuals involved in holding Israeli hostages captive in Gaza, and terrorists who attempted to plant explosive devices intended to kill or injure IDF soldiers.

The division conducted its operations east of the Yellow Line, concentrating on identifying and destroying terrorist infrastructure above and below ground while preventing Hamas from reestablishing operational positions in the region.

Throughout the four-month deployment, soldiers uncovered and dismantled a network of underground passages extending approximately eight kilometers, or nearly five miles. The tunnels formed part of the infrastructure used by terrorist operatives to move through the area, conceal their activities and prepare attacks against Israeli forces.

The IDF said troops also located and destroyed a Hamas observation and command center that had been used to monitor military activity and coordinate terrorist operations.

Additional structures identified during the operation included buildings used by Hamas operatives to organize attacks and prepare assaults against IDF soldiers stationed in northern Gaza.

The military said its forces encountered terrorists attempting to threaten Israeli positions, including operatives involved in preparing explosive devices for use against troops operating in the area.

The operation formed part of the IDF’s continuing effort to prevent Hamas from restoring the military capabilities it developed before the October 7 attacks, particularly its extensive tunnel system and network of fortified positions.

Israeli military officials have repeatedly identified the destruction of Hamas’s underground infrastructure as a central objective, given the terrorist organization’s reliance on tunnels for movement, concealment, weapons storage and attacks against Israeli forces.

With the 99th Division having completed its assignment, responsibility for continued IDF operations in the sector will pass to the 162nd Division, which will maintain the military’s activities against remaining terrorist threats in northern Gaza.