The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has admitted that it is flooding tunnels in the Gaza Strip with large amounts of water in an attempt to attack Hamas’ terrorist infrastructure.
The Israel Defense Forces said it was using various tools with the Israeli Ministry of Defense to flood the underground tunnel network used by Hamas in the Gaza Strip to flush out terrorists hiding there. The floods had been considered an open secret for weeks, but the Israel Defense Forces finally acknowledged its strategy on Tuesday.
“These capabilities consist of the installation of pumps and pipes, the materialization of engineering developments, and the ability to locate suitable tunnel shafts for the deployment of these tools,” IDF said in a statement.
The IDF said Hamas is using the tunnels to carry out terrorist activities. (Israel Defense Forces/AP)
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“This capability has been developed in a specialized capacity, including an analysis of the soil properties and water systems in the area to ensure that no damage is done to the groundwater in the area. We will recommend the appropriate operation method for each case. ”
The IDF says the strategy is a major engineering and technological breakthrough in combating the threat of Hamas’ underground terrorist infrastructure and is the result of a cooperative effort between various branches of Israel’s security services. He said that there is.
The IDF did not provide further details about the tunnel’s flooding.
But the Wall Street Journal reported last month that Israel had built five large seawater pumps about a mile north of Al Shati refugee camp, which were completed in November. Each pump can draw water from the Mediterranean Sea, moving thousands of cubic meters of water per hour, and the tunnel could be flooded within weeks, the report said.
A map provided by the IDF shows a tunnel system discovered in the Bani Suheila area in southern Gaza. (Israel Defense Forces)
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According to the report, Israel identified approximately 800 tunnels under Gaza that Hamas uses to move fighters, store weapons, and plan terrorist attacks against Israel. However, Israeli authorities believe the tunnel network is much larger.
A report sent by IDF forces this month said Hamas likely “used more than 6,000 tons of concrete and 1,800 tons of metal to construct hundreds of miles of underground infrastructure.”
It is unclear how many tunnels were flooded by Israeli forces and how many Hamas terrorists were arrested or killed as part of the operation.
Israel is aiming to eradicate Palestinian terrorist organizations after an October 7 attack on Israel captured around 240 people and brought them back to the Gaza Strip. Hamas released 105 hostages in a November ceasefire.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari shows the entrance to a tunnel allegedly used by Hamas to attack Israel through the Erez border crossing on October 7, 2023. (Jack Ghez/AFP via Getty Images)
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Israel announced that about 1,200 people were killed in the surprise attack on October 7th. A United Nations report last week estimated that about 16,000 people had died as a result of Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
The IDF said the tunnel flooding is part of a series of tools it deploys to neutralize the Hamas threat.
Other efforts include airstrikes, underground combat operations and special operations using technological assets, the IDF said.
Israeli forces have blown up a tunnel under a cemetery in the Gaza Strip. Hamas terrorist The IDF announced Monday that it was using the tunnel for operations.
FOX News’ Chris Pandolfino contributed to this report.
