After 114 days of war, 80% of Hamas tunnel network still intact: Report

After 114 days of fighting, as much as 80 per cent of Hamas’s tunnel network underneath Gaza Strip could still be intact, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing Israeli and US officials. The report comes as the Israel Defense Forces are involved in intense combat in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, where the 98th Division is confronting Hamas militants. Amid the conflict in Gaza, diplomatic efforts led by the US were underway to devise a two-phase strategy for the release of over 130 hostages still held in the region after being abducted from Israel. This plan proposed a temporary ceasefire lasting up to two months. According to the journal, it’s challenging to gauge the extent of destruction inflicted by Israeli forces on the underground network in Gaza. However, estimates suggest that between 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the labyrinthine structure has been damaged or rendered inoperative, added the report. Since launching a ground offensive in the wake of the 7 October massacre, in which Hamas-led terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 253 hostages, Israeli forces have worked to destroy the tunnels, uncovering more and more of the Gaza-ruling terror organisation’s underground network. Some of the tunnels have been bombed, while others have been flooded. However, progress is slow as underground passages must be mapped and checked for booby traps and hostages before Israeli forces can destroy them. A senior Israeli military official told the Wall Street Journal that the IDF was focused on eliminating “nodes” within the tunnels where Hamas operatives are hiding, instead of demolishing entire networks. “It’s a very hard mission. It’s done slowly, very carefully. It’s urban warfare unseen globally,” WSJ quoted the official as saying. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other terror commanders are believed to be hiding underground. The report cited Israeli officials who said that the Gaza terror chief is believed to be in a command center in a tunnel under Khan Younis, along with some of the hostages. Earlier this month it was reported that senior Israeli defence officials now assess that Hamas’s Gaza tunnel network is between 350 and 450 miles long, far longer than previously believed. The estimate reported by The New York Times is markedly higher than an Israel Defense Forces assessment last month that there are some 250 miles of Hamas tunnels under the Gaza Strip, and an astounding figure given the enclave is only some 140 square miles in total size. In the largest operation in a month, Israeli forces over the past few days encircled and pushed through Khan Younis, where many Palestinians had sheltered after leaving northern Gaza, the early focus of the war. Palestinians, meanwhile, have been fleeing further south from Khan Younis toward Rafah, close to the Egyptian border, where the United Nations says most of Gaza’s estimated 1.7 million displaced people have gathered. Many of them live in the street in “conditions of desperation conducive to a complete breakdown in order,” Times of Israel quoted Ajith Sunghay of the UN Human Rights Office as saying. AFP images showed people wading through ankle-deep water around plastic shelters in Rafah, where bombardment still threatens.

The Israeli military alleges that Hamas operates from tunnels beneath Gaza hospitals, using them as command centers. Israel has released footage showing Hamas tunnels discovered beneath multiple hospitals. Following the 7 October massacre, Israel initiated a large-scale military campaign, aiming to dismantle the terror group. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims the campaign resulted in over 26,000 fatalities and 64,000 injuries, though these figures are unverified. They likely include around 10,000 Hamas members reportedly killed by Israel and civilians hit by misfired Palestinian rockets. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing mounting domestic pressure, reiterated his commitment to ousting Hamas from Gaza. He warned of further violence if Hamas militants are not eliminated, stating, “The next massacre is only a matter of time.” With inputs from agencies