Not long ago, Israel launched a water offensive against Hamas, a Palestinian militant organization that controls the Gaza Strip, in an attempt to destroy the vast network of tunnels that Hamas has established in the Gaza Strip, which are an important strategic resource for Hamas and its main means of countering Israel. Israel claims to have installed five large pumps in northern Gaza and claims to be able to fill tunnels in Gaza City with thousands of cubic metres of seawater per hour.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has been going on for decades, with the two sides engaged in several fierce battles in the Gaza Strip. Israel has a strong military force, advanced equipment and technology, and the support of the United States.
Hamas, on the other hand, is a political organization considered a terrorist organization by the international community, with relatively weak military capabilities, but it has strong religious beliefs and nationalist sentiments, and its goal is to eliminate Israel and establish a state under full Palestinian control.
In this unequal war, Hamas has adopted a very special tactic, which is tunnel warfare. Hamas has built a complex network of tunnels in the Gaza Strip that not only connect important facilities such as Hamas's command centers, libraries, hospitals, mosques, etc., but also extend to Israel's borders and even within Israeli territory.
Hamas has used these tunnels to launch surprise attacks, fire rockets into Israel, or kidnap Israeli soldiers and civilians. Hamas has also used these tunnels to evade Israeli air and ground attacks, as well as to provide supplies and medical care to the population of the Gaza Strip. Hamas's tunnel warfare is a major headache for Israel, as it is difficult for Israel to discover and destroy these tunnels and to stop Hamas attacks.
In response to Hamas's tunnel warfare, Israel has also taken a number of measures, such as building an underground separation wall, deploying underground sensors, using technologies such as geological radar and robot dogs, and training specialized tunnel warfare units.
However, none of these measures have had a decisive effect, because Hamas's tunnel network is too large, too deep, too hidden, and constantly updated and expanded. Therefore, Israel decided to use a more radical method, which was a water attack.
The principle of water attack is very simple, that is, to use the gravity and pressure of water to inject water into the tunnel, so that the tunnel is flooded by water, or washed away by water. The advantage of water attack is that it can cover a large area of tunnels, and it does not require the precise location of tunnels, nor does it require the use of a large number of explosives and manpower. The disadvantages of water attacks are that they require large quantities of water, powerful pumping and water transmission equipment, and can cause environmental pollution and humanitarian disasters.
Israel chose seawater as the source of water for the water attack because it is not only abundant, but also contains salt and other chemicals that can corrode the structure of the tunnels, as well as affect the electronics and ** inside the tunnels. Israel also claims that water attacks are a humane tactic because it gives people inside tunnels time to escape rather than killing them outright.
Hamas is very frightened by Israel's water offensive because it realizes that it could deal a fatal blow to its tunnel network and could even lead to its downfall in the Gaza Strip. Hamas's spokesman, Abu al-Obaida, said in a statement that Israel's water attack was a "barbaric and despicable" act, a "genocide" against Palestinians and a "flagrant violation" of international law and humanitarianism.
He also said that Hamas would respond to Israel's water offensive with "fire and blood" and would launch more rocket and suicide attacks on Israel, which would turn Israel into "hell."
Hamas's response shows that it is very aware of the threat of a water attack and very worried. In fact, Hamas's tunnel network has been affected by the flooding, with some tunnels already flooded, some washed away, and some cut off.
Hamas's armed personnel and leaders have been unable to use the tunnels normally, their movement and command have been severely restricted, and their morale and confidence have been hit. Hamas's network of authentic tunnels, once its pride and guarantee, has become its nightmare and trap.
Water attack is a tactic that uses the power of water to attack the enemy, and has been used many times in history to besiege cities or tunnel warfare. The purpose of a water attack is to flood enemy positions, destroy enemy fortifications, or force the enemy to come out and fight. The effect of water attack is often devastating, not only causing a large number of enemies, but also causing huge psychological pressure and fear to the enemy. Israel intends to flood the Gaza tunnels to force out Hamas