Beirut, Dec 21: The Israeli military said troops found “a vast tunnel network” under Gaza city that included command and control positions, meeting rooms and hideout apartments for the most senior leaders of Hamas, including Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh.

Peter Lerner, an Israeli army spokesman, said on Wednesday that the rooms were 20 metres underground with elevators, stairs, separate water and electricity shafts, and had water, food, weapons and communications equipment stored for extended stays.

He said one of the rooms was an “underground hall” 150 metres across.

The military shared videos of what it said were the underground structures.

They showed tunnels with concrete walls, blast doors, ventilation systems, security cameras, electronic equipment and long staircases descending deep into the earth.

The military said the complex was centred on Palestine Square in central Gaza city, under stores, government offices and civilian apartment buildings.

Hamas is known to have built kilometres of tunnels, called the “Gaza metro”, under the coastal enclave to operate in safety from Israeli aircraft.