According to American officials familiar with Israeli military operations, the flooding of the tunnels, which is likely to take weeks, began at a time when Israel added two more pumps to the five pumps installed last month, and conducted some initial tests.
They added that the benefit of using seawater in a vast underground maze that extends about 300 miles (about 482 kilometers) and includes thick doors “is still being evaluated by the Israelis.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that this operation comes as part of Israel’s intensified efforts, with the aim of destroying Hamas’ underground military structure.
She explained: “The step of flooding the tunnels with water from the Mediterranean Sea is just one of several steps that Israel has resorted to to try to disinfect and destroy the tunnels.”
A spokesman for the Israeli Defense Minister refused to comment on this development, saying that tunnel operations are secret.
Some officials in the Joe Biden administration expressed concern that using seawater may not be effective, and could endanger Gaza’s fresh water supply, according to the American newspaper.
Israeli officials say that Hamas’s massive underground network is essential to its operations, adding that the tunnel system is used by Hamas to maneuver fighters on the battlefield and store rockets and ammunition, in addition to hiding hostages it holds.
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2023-12-12 19:37:19
