WSJ “Installation of 7 seawater pumps in two months” Lee “We will raid the leadership and rescue the hostages” Hostage families oppose “security threat” Biden criticizes Lee for “losing international support”
Images of Israeli soldiers installing pipes to bring up sea water from Mediterranean beaches are being circulated on local social media. There is an analysis that the Israeli military will use this seawater to exterminate Hamas by injecting it into tunnels that Hamas has installed throughout the Gaza Strip. Photo source: X (old Twitter)
Israel has decided to flood tunnels in the Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas with seawater in order to eradicate the Palestinian armed group Hamas. During the ground war, Israel attacked the outside of Hamas tunnels, which were approximately 500 km long, but was unable to completely destroy the inside due to traps and explosives. Some Hamas leaders are also hiding here, and it appears that they are trying to completely destroy Hamas using seawater.
On the 12th, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, “Five seawater pumps were installed last month, and two additional pumps were recently installed,” and “The operation to fill the tunnel with seawater has begun.” It was said that filling the entire tunnel with seawater would take at least several weeks. Israel has revealed its intention to flood the tunnels so that Hamas leaders and hostages underground will come to the surface, and at that time they will swoop in and rescue the hostages. Israel currently controls more than 40% of the Gaza Strip, but believes that the threat from Hamas will not end unless underground facilities are destroyed. Israel claims that not only does Hamas bring in weapons through tunnels it has built throughout the Gaza Strip, but also that the Hamas leadership has an operational headquarters here and directs attacks on Israel.
The families of about 140 hostages who were captured by Hamas and have not yet been released are strongly opposing the inundation operation, saying it threatens the safety of the hostages. Additional damage, including environmental pollution, is expected to be significant. Egyptian authorities, which border the Gaza Strip, injected seawater into Hamas tunnels near their territory in 2015 to eradicate smugglers. Afterwards, residents who grew crops nearby suffered great damage from salinity.
There is also considerable conflict between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over civilian casualties caused by Israeli attacks and plans to govern the Gaza Strip after the end of the war. On the 12th, President Biden publicly criticized Israel, calling for a change in its hard-line policy toward Palestine, saying, “Israel has begun to lose support from the international community due to indiscriminate bombing.” It is unusual for President Biden, who has always sided with Israel since the outbreak of the war, to directly criticize Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu admitted that “we are at odds with the United States over the post-war situation.”
Reporter Kim Bora purple@donga.com
Washington = Correspondent Moon Byeong-ki weappon@donga.com
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2023-12-13 18:00:00
