Israeli Combat Engineers Begin to Tackle Hamas Tunnel Network
The IDF is beginning to tackle the challenge of Hamas's underground tunnels, in which it hides terrorists, weapons, supplies -- and hostages.
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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is beginning to tackle the challenge of Hamas’s underground tunnel network, in which it hides terrorists, weapons, supplies — and hostages.
There are hundreds of miles of Hamas tunnels underneath Gaza, often built with supplies that were supposed to be used for civilian construction and humanitarian aid. Some tunnels were built through the use of child slave labor, leading to the deaths of Palestinian children. And, as critics have noted, none of the tunnels offer bomb shelters for Palestinian civilians — only terrorists.
The tunnels have already been a challenge for the IDF as it penetrates deeper into Gaza. Overnight, dozens of Hamas terrorists emerged from tunnels to attack Israeli soldiers, who were able to repel the attack without casualties, but only after an intense fight.
The effort to close, collapse, clear out, and eliminate the tunnels will likely define the next stage of the war in Gaza. And it could take months.
The Times of Israel reported Thursday, citing the Walla news website:
John Spencer of the Modern War Institute at West Point recently described the difficulty facing the IDF as it tackles the tunnels:
Israel can also use airstrikes to destroy tunnels with ground-penetrating bombs. However, it also wants to avoid killing hostages.
The Yahalom (“Diamond”) unit, referred to above, is a key part of Israel’s tunnel-busting operation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the unit last week, calling it the “vanguard” of the Israeli attack on Hamas and praising its readiness for battle.
Walla reports that Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, visited the Yahalom unit on Thursday to offer encouragement.
He said (translated from Hebrew):
Israel is refusing to allow fuel into Gaza, noting that Hamas hoards fuel in its tunnels and is stealing fuel from hospitals rather than allowing civilians to access fuel that they need for transportation, electricity, heating, and cooking.
