Israeli Defense Forces dismantled a 1 kilometer-long underground tunnel route in Rafah, southern Gaza, used by terrorists, the IDF announced between 7:15 and 7:45 AM UTC on February 23, 2026, according to an official IDF X post. The operation followed three months of counter-terror efforts eliminating dozens of terrorists and hundreds of terror infrastructure sites. Over the three-month period, IDF troops targeted underground operations in Rafah, destroying hideouts and weapons within the tunnel, as detailed in the IDF statement posted on X. This follows the IDF's earlier announcement of demolishing another kilometer-long Hamas tunnel in the same area between 6:15 and 7:15 AM UTC today, per @manniefabian on X. Senator Lindsey Graham stated on Gaza that Israel cannot successfully occupy the Strip and called for Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to rebuild it, teach tolerance, and make it more like the UAE, according to an X post by @Osint613 citing Graham. He described Gaza residents as the most radicalized people on the planet. The Rafah tunnel dismantling builds on prior IDF efforts targeting Hamas underground infrastructure amid post-ceasefire security operations in southern Gaza.
