Hamas executed dozens of diggers responsible for its extensive tunnel system in past weeks, fearing the workers would reveal the site locations to Israel, a report on the Mako website's army blog said.

After the tunnels were completed, dozens were reportedly executed to prevent intelligence leaks to Israel.

"Anyone they suspected might transfer information to Israel on the tunnels was killed by the military wing," a different source said. "They were very cruel."

In 2012, a Journal of Palestine Studies article claimed 160 Palestinian children were killed while working on Hamas's tunnel system.

Hamas said to have executed dozens of tunnel diggers