There were rumors about this in Israel three weeks ago the possibility that the army has flooded Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip. When a commentator suggested this on the Kan public radio newscast, the anchor asked to change the subject because “Hamas is listening to this newscast too.” Now it has been published in the Wall Street Journal.
The report says they have finished assembling it.large seawater pumps about a kilometer and half north of the Al Shati refugee camp in the middle of last month. “Each of at least five pumps can draw water from the Mediterranean and pump thousands of cubic meters of water per hour into the tunnels, flooding them within weeks.”
The report, which quotes unnamed U.S. officials, also said the tactic was “Scould destroy the tunnels and drive the fighters from their underground lairbut also endanger the water supply in the Gaza Strip.
According to the newspaper Israel submitted the plan to the United States last month and its feasibility and environmental impact have been debated ever since. Apparently the US believes that Israel has not yet made a final decision to proceed, but has not ruled out the plan either.
Egypt has used this tactic several times in the last decade to destroy tunnels leading from Gaza to the Sinai Peninsula, mainly used for smuggling. Egypt used sea depth charges to flood several Gaza tunnel networks in 2013 and 2015, rendering them unusable for operations. A person familiar with the plan indicated it would take weeks to complete the flooding, according to the newspaper, Hamas would have time to evacuate and also the hostages. While it may appear to be a less cruel method of destroying the tunnels, pumping millions of cubic meters of seawater under Gaza could severely damage already damaged water and sewage infrastructure systems and cause buildings and roads to collapse.
On Sunday, The IDF said its troops had discovered more than 800 tunnels since the ground offensive in the enclave that began at the end of October, around 500 of which have already been destroyed. The army claimed to have destroyed hundreds of kilometers of tunnels in addition to the entrance shafts.
“The wells were in civilian areas and Many of them were located near or inside educational institutions, kindergartens, mosques and playgrounds“said the Israeli military statement.
On the battlefield, Israeli forces attacked the capital in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday. It appeared to be the largest ground attack since the collapse of the ceasefire last week. Local residents said Israeli tanks had entered eastern Khan Younis for the first time, crossed the Israeli border fence and headed west. According to local reports, some troops took up positions in the town of Bani Suhaila on the edge of eastern Khan Yunis, while others moved further afield and were stationed on the edge of a Qatari-funded housing complex called Hamad City.
Meanwhile, a World Health Organization (WHO) official in Gaza assured journalists via video link that the situation was worsening. “The situation is getting worse by the hour,” said Richard Peeperkorn.. “Shelling is increasing everywhere, including here in the southern areas, Khan Younis and even in Rafah.” In Israel, the day’s news also centered on a statement by a Health Ministry official at a hearing in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament). explained that Hamas gave the hostages sedatives before handing them over to the Red Cross “to manufacture them.” seem happy.
Some families of the abductees also attended the Health Committee hearing. Shir Sigal, whose mother was freed from captivity and whose father remains there, highlighted the harsh conditions in which the hostages are being held. “My mother came back with testimonies that I can’t even hear. They handcuffed them, abused them, did not provide them with medical assistance, or gave them food or water. There’s a Holocaust three hours’ drive from here,” he said.
During the week-long ceasefire, the terrorist group released 105 civilian hostages: 81 of them were Israelis, 23 Thais and one Filipino. It is believed that 136 hostages remain in the Gaza Strip. In return, Israel released 240 Palestinian security prisoners, all women and children under 18.
In the wealth of information about Israel’s mismanagement of this attack, data continues to emerge about Hamas’s level of preparation and premeditation. A report from The Guardian It said the Israeli army had shared documents captured from Hamas members, including hostage-taking manuals, with foreign media. The captured documents include a “checklist” in the event of a hostage situation and a detailed plan on how to infiltrate and take control of the border.
France freezes terrorist Sinwar’s assets
French authorities announced yesterday the temporary freeze of the Hamas leader’s assets in the Gaza Strip. Yahya Sinwarconsidering that he is the “architect” of the October 7 attacks that killed around 1,200 people on Israeli soil.
This measure, already in force, will be maintained for a period of six months, the Official Journal of France said in a statement clarifying this “Funds and economic resources owned or controlled by Sinwar are subject to these measures.”. In November, the Economy Ministry announced that it would freeze the assets of Mohamed Deif, the head of Hamas’s military branch, for six months.