Around a month after the discovery of the location where Lt. Hadar Goldin's body had been held, IDF forces descended 20 meters below the city of Rafah and entered the "Dror Lavan" tunnel-operating alongside soldiers from Yahalom, Shayetet 13, and the Gaza Division's engineering forces.
"This is one of the longest tunnels in the Gaza Strip; it’s essentially like a ‘metro’," says Captain M, a company commander in Yahalom, describing the tunnel as approximately 7 to 10 kilometers in length. "Additionally, its structure is especially challenging-twisted, split, and branched, with dozens of Hamas senior leaders' living and command rooms inside."
About a year and a half ago, when the intelligence gathered confirmed the location where Lt. Goldin’s body was being held, the IDF forces initiated an operation in the area, searching for the exact location while destroying numerous terrorist infrastructures along the way. "The work was Sisyphean and methodical-it wasn’t easy at all," admits the company commander. "But not a day went by without thinking of Hadar, which constantly reminded us why we were there."
The tunnel itself was narrow and cramped, with a low ceiling. Its walls were covered with a white, thin coating resembling tiles. As described by the soldiers working inside, the area was suffocating, dark, and extremely tight. "During the search for hidden shafts, we worked on removing the tiles that lined the tunnel," says Captain M. "We understood that behind each tile, we could find Hadar, a command room, or a hideout for terrorists."
The operation inside "Dror Lavan" was carried out in close cooperation with Shayetet 13, who were tasked with studying the tunnel’s layout. "When the mission began, we started an in-depth process of learning the layout," explains Lt. Col. G, a senior officer from Shayetet 13. "We tried to understand the tunnel’s length and depth and its route, using various technological tools we had."
At the end of the assessment, the teams began their physical work inside the tunnel: "We mapped the entire system to create access points for the engineering forces to enter the tunnel at selected locations. And, of course, simultaneously, the search for Hadar's body continued."
By this stage, the engineering forces began moving on the ground. "We worked on two channels," describes Lt. Col. R, the Gaza Division’s engineering officer. "The special forces, like Yahalom, fought inside the tunnel itself, actively searching for findings, while the battalion operated above ground, near the tunnel's surroundings."
In the early stages of the operation, there were many encounters and direct confrontations with the enemy inside "Dror Lavan." The soldiers knew that to continue the mission seamlessly, they first needed to clear the area of various threats. "It was a challenging task to neutralize the ‘red forces’-it involved many frontline battles."
For about a year, the forces continually removed the tiles from the walls and ceiling. "Each time, we marked off another part of the tunnel, another wing, and another twist," says Captain M. "On one occasion, we managed to identify behind one of the tiles a large living and command room that had been used by Hamas. In other cases, we found weapons or other terror tools. These moments made clear the danger and cunning of the terrorists and underscored the importance of our work-there is nothing more satisfying."
Now, after Lt. Hadar Goldin’s body was brought back to Israel and buried in November as part of a ceasefire agreement, and after the successful operation to take control of "Dror Lavan," the soldiers reflect on their unique mission underground. "We were there for a year and a half, with each day filled with numerous challenges. In the end, we were able to contribute to Hadar’s return," concludes Lt. Col. G. "Even when the darkness felt endless and the narrow walls surrounded us, we knew why we were there. That kept us going, even when it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel."