65 million digital files, half-million documents: The intelligence exposing Hamas tunnels

The Israeli search for terror tunnels is being aided by a trove of intelligence seized by soldiers, namely 65 million digital files and a half-million physical documents, the Israel Defense Forces disclosed on Thursday.

Tasked with sorting through the intelligence finds is Amshat, a unit within the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate. Amshat is the Hebrew acronym for "Document and Technical Means Collection Unit."

Laptops, flash drives, notebooks, maps, ledgers, bodycams and other items that soldiers find in Hamas tunnels, strongholds, hideouts or on the bodies of terrorists eventually reach Amshat.


"The huge amount of materials that come from the field generate many intelligence opportunities to help operating soldiers," explained Capt. (res.) S. of Amshat.

Among the documents found was a map of tunnel shafts seized by the 252nd Division in the residence of a company commander in Hamas' Beit Hanoun Battalion.

A key explaining the map was located and collected by the division at the residence of another operative. With the arrival of the materials to the research team, the important link between the map and the key was created - making it possible to locate and destroy tunnel shafts in the field.

In addition, a document was seized with the location of a weapons stash in the area of Beit Hanoun. After analyzing the document, Amshat was able to direct ground forces to the location of cache, which was destroyed.

At least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. The number of men, women, children, soldiers and foreigners held captive in Gaza by Hamas is now believed to be 129. Other people remain unaccounted for as Israeli authorities continue to identify bodies and search for human remains.