The Israeli Army is taking a new approach to getting rid of Hamas in Gaza. Soldiers are now pumping seawater into the tunnels to force Hamas militants out.
This appears to be the most humane method of making the tunnels unusable. The rate of flooding will be slow enough to enable militants and civilians to escape.Fox News says:
Israel’s military has started pumping seawater into Hamas’ extensive tunnel system underneath the Gaza Strip as part of an effort to drive terrorists out of their hiding places, a report says.
The tactic is unfolding Wednesday in its early stages, U.S. officials briefed on Israel’s military operations told The Wall Street Journal.
Tunnel warfare is notoriously dangerous. US troops in Vietnam suffered greatly from Vietcong tunnels, and had to personally go into them to clear them with knives and pistols. The NY Post has more:
The flooding began around the time Israel added two more pumps to the five and the IDF conducted some initial tests, US officials told the Journal.
The pumping is in an early stage and its effectiveness is still being studied, the Journal reported, adding that other tactics include airstrikes, liquid explosives, and the dispatch of dogs, drones and robots into the tunnels.
Explosives would not be powerful enough to disable entire tunnel networks, and gas would be too cruel and illegal. Families of the hostages are worried about losing their loved ones, but they can safely be evacuated from the tunnels if Hamas makes that decision.
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