Israel's New Strategy to Counter Hamas Tunnels: The Underwater Challenge in Gaza

In the ongoing battle in the Gaza Strip, the toughest challenge for Israel is the tunnels of Hamas, known as the "Gaza Metro," located 70 meters underground with an estimated length of 500 kilometers. 

Recently, there has been talk of the Israeli army resorting to internationally banned weapons such as sponge bombs and nerve gas to destroy these tunnels, where Hamas leaders and its military are.

Today, a new military approach emerges, aiming to minimize human losses. One of the latest attempts involves the army conducting precise tests to flood some tunnels in the Gaza Strip with seawater on a limited scale to determine whether it contributes to the destruction of the tunnel network, according to officials in the United States who informed The Wall Street Journal.

How does Israel execute this operation? 

By deploying seven pumps north of the al-Shati Camp, capable of extracting thousands of cubic meters of water from the Mediterranean Sea per hour and pumping it into the tunnels that Israel has identified, potentially submerging them within weeks. 

Tel Aviv has informed Washington of this plan, causing concern.

If Israel succeeds in flooding Hamas tunnels with water and proves its effectiveness, the impact will not be limited to the "city beneath the ground in the Gaza Strip" but will also extend above ground. 

Flooding the tunnels will affect groundwater, soil, and eliminate agricultural possibilities. It will also impact the stability of buildings adjacent to the tunnels, especially given the desert nature of the region, signifying the end of the strip environmentally, health-wise, and agriculturally.