Status: 30.11.2023, 11:26 a.m.
By: Nail Akkoyun
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Hamas' underground tunnel system is more complex than expected. Israel's military is facing a challenge it did not expect.
Gaza – For the terrorist organization Hamas, the underground tunnel system, estimated to be almost 500 kilometers long, is of crucial importance. Because while the militia knows the network inside out, the Israeli army does not even know how far the tunnels run in which directions. As a central element of the military strategy, the underground passages are not only riddled with booby traps, but also with guerrilla fighters.
Now an engineer from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the US magazine Newsweek about the extent of the shafts – and was surprised. "I didn't expect these tunnels to be so strong. That means there's a lot of concrete, stairs, a lot of intersections in these tunnels," the Israeli officer said. "I thought it was a little more primitive, but this one is really sophisticated," he added.
An Israeli soldier stands in an underground tunnel found under Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Israel claims that Hamas militants took shelter on the grounds of the hospital and used the tunnel for military purposes. © Victor R. Caivano/dpa/AP
Hamas' "Lifeline": Israel Monitors Terrorist Organization's Tunnel System
In the fight against the terrorist organization, the Israeli army "does not normally go in," but they are aware that it is "the lifeline" of Hamas. Since the war broke out in Israel, the military has uncovered "hundreds of shafts" that serve defense and offensive purposes in addition to smuggling weapons and goods. In addition, according to recent reports, the tunnels run under various medical facilities in the Gaza Strip, including the Shifa clinic in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's military had entered the hospital almost two weeks ago, despite massive international criticism. There, according to their own statements, the army found a tunnel complex at the clinic. Photos and videos presented by the army showed a narrow tunnel as well as several rooms, including a room with two bed frames, toilets and a small kitchen. According to the information, the tunnel was located at a depth of ten meters and was 55 meters long. According to the military, weapons were also found in the hospital.
Hamas has denied that it is misusing medical facilities for military purposes. However, the U.S. government supported the Israeli narrative that Hamas had used Shifa Hospital as a command center and weapons depot.
Israel's army bombs Hamas tunnels: "We don't really know how many we kill"
Given the danger of penetrating tunnels too deeply, the IDF engineer with whom Newsweek spoke said that it would be better to destroy the shafts with airstrikes or explosives than to enter them. And for good reason: "If we see someone shooting at us from this tunnel and then running back, then their goal is to lure us into the tunnel to chase them in, and we don't want to play their game. We want to play our game," the officer said.
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It is possible, the IDF officer said, that some people are still in the tunnel when the entrances are destroyed. "We don't really know how many we're killing," he said, "but we do know that if we don't, we're going to be hit again the next day." (nak/dpa)