The Israeli military has begun pumping seawater into Hamas’ underground tunnel network beneath Gaza, the Wall Street Journal has reported. Israeli officials have refused to comment on the alleged operation, which could endanger the lives of more than 100 hostages and contaminate the strip’s water supply.
Israeli forces began experimenting with flooding the tunnels after transporting powerful pumps into Gaza last month, the newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing US officials. Fully flooding the hundreds of miles of tunnels and bunkers beneath Gaza is expected to take several weeks, the report claimed. A spokesperson for Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant refused to comment, stating that any military operations involving the tunnels are classified. However, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said last week that flooding the subterranean network was “a good idea, but I won’t comment on its specifics.” . The Israeli military has begun pumping seawater into Hamas’ underground tunnel network beneath Gaza, the Wall Street Journal has reported. Israeli officials have refused to comment on the alleged operation, which could endanger the lives of more than 100 hostages and contaminate the strip’s water supply. Israeli forces began experimenting with flooding the tunnels after transporting powerful pumps into Gaza last month, the newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing US officials. Fully flooding the hundreds of miles of tunnels and bunkers beneath Gaza is expected to take several weeks, the report claimed. A spokesperson for Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant refused to comment, stating that any military operations involving the tunnels are classified. However, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said last week that flooding the subterranean network was “a good idea, but I won’t comment on its specifics.” From Israel’s perspective, filling the tunnels with water is preferable to sending troops beneath the ground to face armed militants and booby traps. While Israeli forces control much of Gaza City in the north of the strip and some of Khan Younis in the south, “the problem is Hamas is going underground,” former Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told the Wall Street Journal. Even in the areas that Israel has taken, “the subterranean [theater] continues to be the challenge,” retired Israeli colonel Miri Eisin told the newspaper.
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