WATCH as IDF pumps sea water inside Hamas tunnel to literally flush out terrorists

Israel has reportedly started flooding Hamas’s network of tunnels under the Gaza Strip by pumping water from the Mediterranean Sea. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have set up a system of pumps, positioned about a mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp, capable of moving thousands of cubic meters of water per hour, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing U.S. officials. Israel’s army completed the set-up of at least five pumps around the middle of November about a mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp that could move thousands of cubic meters of water per hour, flooding the tunnels within weeks, according to reports.

It was not clear whether Israel would consider using the pumps before all hostages were released, according to the story. Hamas has previously said it has hidden captives in “safe places and tunnels.” When asked about the story, a U.S. official was quoted by Reuters as saying that it made sense for Israel to render the tunnels inoperable and that the country was exploring a range of ways to do that. Israel’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Wall Street Journal said an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official declined to comment on the flooding plan but was quoted as saying: “The IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas’s terror capabilities in various ways, using different military and technological tools.” Israel first informed the United States of the option last month, the Wall Street Journal said, reporting that officials did not know how close Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was to carrying out the plan. With inputs from Reuters.