AL BUREIJ, Gaza - Israeli forces uncovered what they have deemed to be the largest weapons production site in Gaza thus far. The underground workshops discovered were allegedly being used to manufacture long-range missiles capable of targeting areas in northern Israel, according to the Israeli military.

Alongside missiles, these secret workshops were also found to be producing modified versions of standard munitions such as mortar shells. The workshops were connected to an extensive underground tunnel network, which served as a means of transporting these weapons to various fighting units across the Gaza Strip.

To shed light on the situation, the Israeli military granted a group of journalists access to the site in the Bureij area, located in the heart of the embattled coastal enclave. The area has endured significant damage and casualties over recent weeks due to relentless bombardment and ground clashes.

The visit revealed the presence of metal tubes, components, and shell casings in an overground workshop area. Additionally, long metal racks with missiles were observed, and an elevator leading to an underground tunnel was noticed nearby.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, provided a detailed explanation of the site's layout and purpose: "From the elevator, they contain the rockets in a place which is safe and then it goes down to other areas inside the tunnel system. In one place you make the rockets, another place you launch."

This newly discovered site is one among several extensive tunnel installations seized by the Israeli military since their invasion of Gaza. The invasion was prompted by a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7.

Israeli officials assert that Hamas intentionally establishes military infrastructure, including tunnels, within civilian areas to create difficulties in targeting them. Conversely, Hamas denies these claims and accuses Israel of indiscriminately attacking civilian targets.

According to Palestinian health officials, the Israeli operation has resulted in the deaths of over 22,000 Palestinians, with the majority of the 2.3 million population being displaced to southern Gaza due to the conflict. On the other hand, Israeli tallies claim that Hamas gunmen killed over 1,200 individuals in southern Israel and took around 240 hostages in the October 7 attack, which led to Israel's largest military operation in Gaza.