The IDF used flooded tunnels in its military operations in the Gaza Strip to force Hamas militants to show up.
The Israeli military confirmed on Tuesday (January 30) that the action was being carried out. Previously, it was reported that the Israeli army prefers to flood Hamas's underground tunnels with seawater pumped from the Mediterranean, but experts warn that doing so is dangerous and poses a huge risk to civilians.
The Israeli army said it had taken care not to damage the groundwater in the area.
During the military operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) destroyed the underground infrastructure of the Gaza Strip by installing pumps and pipes to channel large quantities of seawater into tunnels, citing Israeli military press briefings on Tuesday. The report said that this technology is a major engineering and technological breakthrough to deal with threats from underground infrastructure.
This is the first time that the Israeli army has officially acknowledged the use of flooded tunnels in military operations.
According to Israeli data, Hamas has excavated tunnels in Gaza with a total length of about 560 to 725 kilometers. Israel accused Hamas of attacking Israel through these tunnels and of hiding the detained Israelis in the tunnels.
Wall Street**, citing Israel and the United States**, previously reported that as of now, an estimated 20 to 40 percent of Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or become unusable.