By Dan Williams ZEELIM GROUND FORCES BASE, Israel (Reuters) – After locating what they described as the entrance to a Hamas tunnel under an evacuated hospital in northern Gaza, Israeli army engineers filled the passage with exploding gel and hit the detonator. The blast engulfed the building and sent smoke spewing out of at least … Read more
JERUSALEM — As an Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip looms in its most devastating war yet with Hamas, one of the greatest threats to both its troops and the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped inside the seaside enclave is buried deep underground. An extensive labyrinth of tunnels built by the Hamas militant group stretches … Read more
JERUSALEM — Israel on Saturday expanded its ground operation in Gaza with infantry and armored vehicles backed by “massive” strikes from the air and sea, including the bombing of Hamas tunnels — a key target in its campaign to crush the territory’s ruling group after its bloody incursion in Israel three weeks ago. The bombardment … Read more
STORY: This is what lies in wait for Israeli ground troops in Gaza, security sources say. A Hamas tunnel network hundreds of miles long and up to 260 feet deep, like this one filmed by Reuters back in 2014. Hamas drove a blindfold crew to a secret location and gave them a tour. One expert … Read more
Combat inside tunnels is incredibly difficult, Luttwak said, noting that it requires a specific skill set and that standard tactics and weaponry are often not suitable inside a subterranean setting. “Tunnel warfare is not for amateurs,” he said. Spencer noted that it’s difficult to execute offensive operations inside the tunnels because navigation and communication systems … Read more
The leaders of Hamas know that once the Israeli counter-offensive starts they will lose their greatest asset: the interconnected tunnels in which their missiles are assembled and taken to launch openings, ready for fire into Israeli territory. These underground networks have many uses, with everything from weapons drills hidden from overhead balloons or synthetic aperture … Read more
Comment on this storyCommentAdd to your saved storiesSave TEL AVIV — Released Israeli hostage Yocheved Lifshitz described on Tuesday the “unimaginable hell” of her kidnapping ordeal that included being thrown over the back of a motorcycle, beaten by sticks and held in a “spiderweb” of wet tunnels after she was abducted from a kibbutz in … Read more