Hamas, a Palestinian fighter group, has constructed a network of tunnels underneath the Gaza Strip. This network of tunnels allows them to infiltrate Israel through the sea, as was announced by the Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday. This tunnel was different from the typical ones, and is a sign that Hamas has come up with new ways to attack Israel. The tunnels are like miniature cities, and are used to hide weapons, fighters, and command centers. Overnight on Saturday, Israeli fighter planes struck 150 underground targets in the northern Gaza Strip, and for the Israeli forces who take part in ground invasions, the tunnels will be one of the most daunting challenges. People living above the tunnels have to worry about surviving the subterranean warfare. Gen Joseph L Votel, the former leader of United States Central Command, said that it will be bloody and brutal fighting.
The tunnels have been a part of life in Gaza for years, but they multiplied after 2007 when Hamas took over. They cost Hamas around 3 million each, and some are made with prefabricated concrete and iron, with medical rooms for wounded fighters. They can even have roads for vehicles. In Israel, they are referred to as lower Gaza or the metro. Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85 year old woman who was held hostage by Hamas for 17 days, described being marched for miles through a spider web of tunnels. Rear Adm Daniel Hagari accused Hamas of building tunnels and other facilities underneath Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza, and Gen Votel said he was taken aback at the level of effort that was put into creating them.
The tunnels have entrances concealed in houses and other small structures on Egypt's side of the border, and allow goods to be smuggled in from Egypt. They stretch all the way to the Israeli border in the north, and Egypt has tried to destroy them by dumping sewage into some and leveling houses that conceal entrances. Israel has limited visibility into tunnel activity on the Egyptian side of the border, and many of the networks end in Northern Sinai. However, the Egyptian government has rarely allowed Israeli researchers or government officials to visit the area, so it is not clear how extensive the system is.
