Hamas has constructed an extensive network of tunnels beneath the Gaza Strip, often referred to as the "Gaza Metro." Estimates as of 2024 put the length of this tunnel system between 350 and 450 miles, with thousands of shafts and various branches running under much of Gaza, including urban areas and near the Egyptian border123. These tunnels feature not just passageways for fighters but also rooms for command, storage, and even living quarters, with some entrances hidden beneath civilian buildings and infrastructure452.
Hamas fighters typically do not reside in traditional military camps. Instead, their activities are dispersed within civilian environments:
Many Hamas members live in their own homes in Gaza, intermingled with the broader population.
The group is well-known for embedding its military infrastructure, such as command centers, weapons depots, and tunnel entrances, within or underneath civilian buildings, including residential homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals678910.
Fighters often store weapons in their houses or everyday spaces like mosques and even inside furniture, and they move through tunnels connected to these buildings910.
During times of conflict, some fighters may use temporary underground accommodations within the tunnels rather than fixed camps, mixing with civilians to avoid being targeted1179.
Hamas obtains weapons through multiple channels:
Smuggling Tunnels: The primary means have historically been tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border at Rafah, allowing arms, ammunition, and parts to flow in with the cooperation—sometimes tacit, sometimes corrupt—of Egyptian officials121314.
Sea-Based Smuggling: Arms are also delivered by sea, occasionally dropped along the Mediterranean coastline by smugglers for later recovery by Hamas operatives, despite tight Israeli naval oversight15.
Over Land from Israel: Some weapons have reportedly been smuggled from Israel itself, often through criminal networks or Bedouin intermediaries16.
Humanitarian or Commercial Shipments: Weapons components, parts, and raw materials have been disguised inside regular commercial or humanitarian shipments, then assembled inside Gaza1217.
Internal Weapon Production: Hamas manufactures a significant share of its own weaponry, including rockets, explosives, and small arms. Know-how and some raw materials (such as fertilizer for explosives) have been brought in or acquired locally1712.
Iran is a principal external supplier, providing funding, know-how, and some advanced rockets. Smaller numbers of weapons have arrived from Syria and elsewhere in the region1715.
Domestic Production: Over time, local workshops in Gaza have become increasingly sophisticated, producing both ammunition and heavier arms1712.
| Topic | Key Facts | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| Total tunnel length in Gaza | 350–450 miles | 123 |
| Tunnel locations | Under urban areas, civilian buildings, border with Egypt | 5218 |
| Hamas fighters live in | Mostly civilian homes, some in underground tunnel quarters, not separate military camps | 67910 |
| Military sites embedded in | Homes, hospitals, schools, mosques, UN facilities | 8671920212210 |
| Weapons sources | Smuggled through tunnels from Egypt, sea drops, shipments, local manufacture, Iran supplies | 121513141716 |
| Weapon types | Small arms, rockets, mortars, explosives, homemade arms | 121715 |
| Smuggling and production methods | Tunnel smuggling, disguised shipments, local assembly, sea, minor border leaks | 1215131716 |
Hamas uses a vast network of tunnels for transportation, storage, and operational command, often hidden beneath civilian areas.
Fighters are deeply embedded in civilian life, not isolated in military bases, frequently moving between homes and tunnel hideouts.
Weapons arrive by a combination of tunnels, sea, disguised shipments, and local assembly, with Iran playing a significant role in support12151321716910.