The Israeli Defense Forces are, for the first time, engaged in pitched battles with Hamas terrorists underground in southern Gaza and have located what may be the headquarters of the group’s leader, Yehya Sinwar, according to reports Monday evening in the Israeli press.

Both Channel 12 news and a respected military analyst at the news website, Walla! News, are reporting that troops with the IDF’s 98th Division are carrying out a pincer movement around the Hamas stronghold of Khan Yunis, with troops on the ground advancing at the same rate as troops in the tunnels. The troops in the tunnels have killed dozens of terrorists as they moved through tunnels, Channel 12 reports, some of them more than half a mile long and as wide as a vehicle in spots.

Earlier Monday, a huge complex underneath a cemetery in the area was infiltrated by the Israeli forces. Inside the complex, Walla! News reports, the troops discovered dining halls, kitchens, sleeping areas and what is believed to be the main living quarters of Yehya Sinwar and his brother, Mohammed Sinwar. The troops also discovered cages where they believe some of the more than 100 Israelis taken hostage October 7 were kept at one point.

After successfully pushing Hamas terrorists out of the northern corners of the Gaza strip, the IDF in recent weeks has been focusing on areas in the south where they believe the hostages are still being held. The IDF arrested nearly 340 Hamas fighters in recent days, some of whom provided the intelligence that helped uncover the tunnel network.

“So far, hundreds of shafts have been located and destroyed, some of which lead to significant strategic points for Hamas,” an unnamed IDF official tells Walla! News. “In addition, hundreds of terrorists were eliminated in the underground, in face-to-face battles and in aerial attacks. The special forces and units are making significant progress in the underground medium in Khan Yunis.”