The underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip are an important strategic resource for the Hamas militant group and a thorn in the side of the IDF. Recently, the Israeli army announced that it had destroyed Hamas's largest underground tunnel in northern Gaza, which has aroused widespread concern in the international community.
According to a statement issued by the Israeli army, the tunnel is only 400 meters from the Erez crossing, more than 4 kilometers long, and about 50 meters deep underground, and can accommodate large vehicles in some places. The tunnel, which has multiple branches, extends from the northern Gaza Strip towards Israel, but does not enter Israeli territory. The tunnel, which is equipped with electrical and sewage facilities and blast doors, is the largest tunnel network built by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army said it had demolished the tunnel in the past few weeks since it was discovered in December. According to the Israeli army, this is the thirteenth Hamas tunnel discovered by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, and it is also the largest. The Israeli army also said that since the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on October 7, the Israeli army has discovered hundreds of tunnels of Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip, many of which are made of reinforced concrete and equipped with electricity, ventilation, sewage treatment and communications facilities. The Israeli army is using advanced operational intelligence and technical means to destroy these underground tunnel networks.
Hamas, for its part, has not yet responded to the Israeli army's statement. But Hamas militant spokesman Abu Obeda said at a rally in the Gaza Strip on March 5 that Hamas militants will continue to build underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip to counter Israeli aggression and blockades, according to the official Hamas Palestine Information Center. He also said that the Hamas forces are ready for a new round of conflict with Israel, and if Israel dares to start a war, the Hamas forces will bring "surprises" to Israel.
The underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip were built by the Hamas militant group in response to Israeli air strikes and blockades. These tunnels are used not only for transporting ** and supplies, but also for launching attacks and kidnapping Israeli soldiers. During the 2014 "Defensive Edge" war, Hamas forces used underground tunnels to launch a number of attacks on Israel, causing heavy losses on the Israeli side. Since then, Israel has been working to find and destroy underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip in order to prevent Hamas forces from using them again to carry out attacks.
The underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip are not only the focus of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but also the focus of the international community. On the one hand, the international community has expressed concern about Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip, believing that Israeli actions could cause a humanitarian crisis for civilians. On the other hand, the international community has also condemned the underground tunnels of the Hamas forces, which they consider to be a threat to Israel's security and a challenge to peace in the Middle East.
The underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip are a microcosm of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and a difficult problem in the Middle East. Behind this difficult problem is the long-standing historical entanglement between Palestine and Israel, as well as the complex interests of the international community. How to solve this difficult problem requires the political wisdom of both Palestine and Israel, as well as the active participation of the international community. It is only on the basis of Palestinian-Israeli peace that the underground tunnels of the Gaza Strip can be transformed from instruments of war into bridges of peace. Hotspot Engine Program