A reserve soldier from the 605th Engineering Battalion has refuted claims that the tunnel shown on the Philadelphi Corridor was not a real tunnel but a shallow trench. The soldier stated that his unit destroyed over 100 tunnels in the area and that the published photograph accurately reflects the true size and significance of the tunnel. This comes after a preliminary publication of an investigation that claimed the tunnel was not as deep as initially claimed. The investigation suggests that the misrepresentation of the tunnel was done to exaggerate the strategic importance of the Philadelphi Corridor and delay a hostage deal.