A spectacular new video released by Israel on Sunday reveals how Hamas uses its greatest advantage against the Israeli military – a remarkably complex maze of tunnels – to transport terrorists and weapons through Gaza.
The chilling footage also shows Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s political leader, touting the extensive reach of the 300-mile underground network and boasting that it is filled with “hundreds and thousands of traps.”
The Israel Defense Forces, which released the video, criticized the booby-trapped tunnels as a cowardly tactic used by Hamas to hide behind “millions of civilians,” as several of their entrances are inside homes, schools, mosques. and hospitals.
The IDF has vowed to decimate the network ahead of an expected full invasion of Gaza to destroy the terrorist group and rescue more than 200 hostages.
“Destroying Hamas means destroying its terrorist tunnel network,” the IDF said.
The tunnel systems were first discovered in 2006 and were primarily used at the time as a means of circumventing the Israeli blockade around Gaza when Hamas first came to power.
Hamas has turned a 300-mile network of tunnels under Gaza into a well-oiled system for moving weapons and terrorists. REUTERS Yahya Sinwar, political leader of Hamas, claims there are thousands of booby traps under Gaza to attack Israeli forces. IDF/X
Although the secret system provided much-needed aid to the more than 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza, Hamas soon transformed it into a military weapon to mount attacks against Israel.
Parts of the tunnels can reach a depth of up to 130 feet, allowing members of the terrorist group to quickly find shelter from Israeli airstrikes.
The IDF has previously taken journalists to tour parts of the tunnels they have overcome, showing them as sophisticated structures with concrete walls, electricity and cars, according to the Washington Post.
At least some of the tunnels are said to have entrances through schools, civilian homes, mosques and hospitals, creating a scenario in which Hamas knowingly sacrifices Palestinian civilians to further its twisted cause. IDF/X A Hamas fighter stands in one of the tunnel rooms in an undated photograph. IDF/X
Hamas is likely holding hostages kidnapped during the group’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack inside Israel in the tunnels, according to Bruce Hoffman, an expert at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations.
Hoffman warned that the IDF will likely face an onslaught of booby traps inside the tunnels and could discover that even the hostages themselves could be booby trapped, according to a CFR report earlier this month.
Despite the dangers, the IDF could deploy a new weapon called “sponge bombs” to turn the tunnels into a huge liability for Hamas.
The tunnels are where Hamas weapons are stored and where hostages are believed to be held. IDF/X The net can reach a depth of up to 130 feet, allowing terrorists to evade airstrikes. IDF/X
The new bombs consist of chemical compounds that expand and harden rapidly when dropped, allowing Israeli soldiers to seal the tunnel passages.
The device would reportedly leave Hamas fighters with no escape and allow Israeli commandos to secure safe routes while searching for hostages.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn