Since its outbreak on October 7, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has lasted for more than two months, and the number of people on both sides has exceeded 1960,000 people. In this conflict, there was only a temporary ceasefire of five days, which was used for the exchange of hostages between the two sides. According to the data, Hamas is still holding about 200 hostages, mostly citizens of Israel and Western countries, while Israel still holds about 7,000 hostages, mainly Palestinians. Of these, Hamas has released 75 hostages, while Israel has released 150 hostages.
The issue of hostages between the two sides has always been a sensitive issue in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Hamas said the hostages were being housed in very safe places, including in the tunnels of Gaza. The latest information indicates that Israeli military operations have begun against tunnels. There is a vast network of tunnels beneath Gaza, and on 12 December, Israeli ground forces reportedly began flooding the Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip with seawater. According to the United States, this is a test to assess the ability to destroy Hamas's tunnel network on a large scale. However, the Israeli Ministry of Defense refused to comment on the claims of the United States, which raised doubts about the real situation.
Tunnels beneath Gaza are an important factor in the conflict between the two sides. These tunnels are not only bunkers used by Hamas to hide from Israeli attacks, but also transport corridors for the lives and transportation of people in Gaza. The Gaza tunnel has played a vital role as a counterattack against the Israeli army. The construction of tunnels is complex and arduous, requiring a lot of manpower and material input. After years of hard work, Hamas has managed to build a vast network of tunnels with a total length of nearly 500 kilometers, which is a huge scale.
However, the Gaza tunnels do not exist only to resist the Israeli army, they are also a guarantee of survival for the local population. In the face of ongoing conflict and constant artillery fire, the people of Gaza have sought safety through tunnels. Such underground passages allow them to avoid blows and protect their lives and property. Therefore, the flooding of seawater into the tunnels could not only cause damage to the Hamas organization, but also endanger the lives of the people and hostages in Gaza trapped in the tunnels.
Israel's operation to flood seawater into the tunnels may result in the inability of the hostages trapped in the tunnels to survive. For Israel, the rescue of hostages is an important strategic task. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set three goals, one of which is to rescue all the hostages. However, flooding with seawater into tunnels can cause the hostages to become trapped underwater, unable to breathe and survive. This is undoubtedly a great threat and disaster for these hostages.
The Israeli Defense Ministry declined to comment on the operation to flood the seawater, raising questions about their true intentions. On the one hand, flooding large quantities of seawater into the tunnels could render the hostages unviable, which is contrary to Israel's goal of rescuing the hostages. On the other hand, Israel's actions may also be aimed at the complete destruction of Gaza's tunnel network. By making the hostages unable to survive through "mistakes", Israel may try to use this method to cut off Hamas's supply lines and thus deal a bigger blow to Gaza.
The sheer scale of Gaza's underground tunnel network is staggering. Previously, it was reported that the total length of this tunnel network is close to 500 kilometers, which is equivalent to the length of the London Underground. These tunnels are not only the main strongholds of Hamas, but also a refuge for local people fleeing the fighting. In the face of the attack of the Israeli army, the tunnel played an important role in defense and survival.
However, if Israel forcibly floods the tunnels with seawater, it will undoubtedly cause great damage. However, when building the tunnels, Hamas has already taken into account the possibility of flooding, and should have responded accordingly. In the familiar "Tunnel Warfare" of the Chinese nation, we have seen how people deal with flooding under extreme conditions. In today's highly developed modern technology, it is believed that there can only be more ways to deal with irrigation, not less.
Thus, Israel's efforts to flood the tunnels with seawater may only prove their madness, but not much more. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that Israel has other intentions, but in the battle on the ground, the safety of the hostages' lives should be of paramount importance, and any action that leads to the hostages ** will have incalculable consequences.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been going on for decades and has caused countless ** and suffering. In this conflict, the issue of hostages has been in the spotlight. Israeli hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian hostages held by Israel are victims of the conflict. The rescue of the hostages is an important task for Israel, but the action must be accompanied by the need to take into account the safety of the hostages.
Despite the sheer scale of Gaza's underground tunnel network, the flooding of seawater can be devastating. In Israel's strategy, the elimination of Hamas may be at the top of the list, but this does not mean that the lives of the hostages can be sacrificed. In the conflict, Israel must do everything in its power to protect the safety of the hostages and must not put them at risk.
In the end, the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict requires the joint efforts of all parties and good-neighbourly relations. It is only through dialogue and diplomacy that a long-term peace and stability solution can be achieved.