Israel ready to flood Hamas tunnels with seawater - WSJ
Israel ready to flood Hamas tunnels with seawater (Getty Images)
Israel's military is considering the idea of flooding the tunnels of the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip with seawater. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have already installed the necessary equipment to implement the plan, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In November, the IDF placed five large water pumps near Al-Shati refugee camp in the city of Gaza. These pumps are powerful enough to transfer thousands of cubic meters of water per hour into the Hamas tunnels, potentially inundating them within a few weeks.
While Israel has not made a final decision on whether to execute this plan, it has already informed U.S. officials. The reaction in the United States has been mixed, as reported by the WSJ. Some officials expressed concerns, particularly regarding potential damage to the water table and soil in the enclave.
"We are not sure how successful pumping will be since nobody knows the details of the tunnels and the ground around them. It's impossible to know if that will be effective because we don't know how seawater will drain in tunnels no one has been in before," the WSJ source said.
Israel-Hamas war
On October 7, Hamas militants invaded Israel, targeting both military and civilian individuals. Israel responded with the Operation Iron Swords, launching attacks on terrorist locations in the Gaza Strip.
On November 24, a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began for the release of prisoners. The parties agreed to a four-day ceasefire but extended it for an additional two days with the condition that the militants would release more hostages.
On December 1, Israel resumed military operations in the Gaza Strip. The IDF claimed that Hamas had violated the terms of the ceasefire. According to Israel's Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, Israel resumed fire after Hamas refused to release hostages, including two children.
