Israel floods Hamas terror tunnel
In the fight against Hamas' underground labyrinths, Israel is apparently also relying on water as a resource. According to a military expert, flooding the tunnels could spare the civilian population. However, this approach also harbors dangers.
Hamas' extensive tunnel system poses enormous challenges for the Israeli army in the Gaza war. This is because the labyrinth, which is estimated to be hundreds of kilometers long, is the terrorists' greatest strategic advantage and the core of their infrastructure. According to many experts, Hamas can only be defeated if the tunnels are also extensively destroyed. To this end, the Israelis are apparently also resorting to the use of water.
A video posted on social media shows Israeli soldiers who appear to be in the process of flooding a shaft with water. First they turn on valves, whereupon hoses connected to metal pipes and leading to the ground inflate. The RTL and ntv verification team believes the video to be genuine, but cannot say with absolute certainty whether a Hamas tunnel is actually being flooded. However, this is likely in the current war context.
Israel uses "various methods"
According to Israel, it has destroyed around 400 Hamas tunnels since the start of the war. "Various methods" have been used, the army announced, without naming the methods. The most obvious method is to bomb the underground systems. Although this avoids direct combat, the collateral damage is disproportionately high. Sending ground troops into the tunnels, on the other hand, would result in complicated and risky battles.
In view of this, there is speculation about other options for action that Israel may already be using. The Israeli military is keeping its tunnel strategy under wraps, with Defense Minister Joaw Galant only telling the "Washington Post" that it needs an "industrial solution". Conceivable options include smoke injection, explosives, blocking the entrances or even the use of water.
In theory, the Mediterranean offers an unlimited supply. Short pipelines could be used to pump the seawater directly into the tunnel entrances, some of which are located near the coast, writes former US officer Jeff Goodson on the online platform Real Clear Defense. To this end, Israel would have to establish a corridor through which the water pipes could run. The tunnels would not need to be filled to the brim. As soon as the water reaches a height of 60 to 90 centimetres, the shaft would be unusable, writes Goodson.
"Humanitarian aid"
Flooding would force Hamas to the surface, making it much easier to fight. Furthermore, it would be a permanent solution, as it is difficult to drain tunnels once they have been flooded. The former officer even describes such an approach as a form of "humanitarian aid", because bombing and thus the deaths of many more civilians could be avoided.
However, flooding the Hamas tunnels also carries a risk. The terrorists are still holding around 240 Israeli hostages, most of whom are believed to be held underground. Israel emphasizes that the special unit Jahalom plays an important role in the destruction of the shafts. The army's elite force has special equipment. They can comb through the tunnel systems using radar systems and robots. Sniffer dogs are also specially trained for tunnel operations.
Israel has experience in fighting the tunnels from the previous Gaza wars. Hamas has been expanding its labyrinth for decades. It is not only used for military purposes, but also as a smuggling route to Israel and Egypt. In 2015, Cairo decided to close dozens of tunnels from Gaza. At the time, Egyptian forces pumped salt water from the Mediterranean into the systems - and , according to Palestinian tunnel builders, caused more damage than the Israeli army in two decades.
- The recent flood of a Hamas terror tunnel by Israeli forces highlights their innovative approach in the Israel war, utilizing water as a resource to potentially spare civilian lives, despite the potential dangers involved.
- Amidst the ongoing Wars and conflicts between Israel and the Gaza Strip, Egypt has also played a role in the past, using seawater from the Mediterranean Sea to flood Hamas tunnels, causing significant damage, according to Palestinian tunnel builders.
- The Hamas tunnel system, spanning hundreds of kilometers and seen as a strategic advantage and core infrastructure by Hamas, has led to extensive destruction efforts by Israel during recent wars, utilizing various methods including flooding, bombing, and ground troops.
- The use of water as a method to flood Hamas tunnels in the Israel-Gaza Strip conflict is not a new concept, as evidenced by Egypt's past actions, demonstrating that nations may employ unconventional tactics in the face of terrorism and Wars and conflicts.
Source: www.ntv.de
