Half of Gaza terror tunnels in IDF-controlled areas still operational – report

Only half of the terror tunnels in parts of the Gaza Strip under IDF control have been demolished, according to the report.

By World Israel News Staff

Roughly half of the terror tunnels built by Hamas and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip are still intact, even in areas under IDF control, according to a report published on Thursday by the Walla news site.

The report cited assessments drafted by Israel’s security establishment, which suggest that in the more than 50% of the territory of Gaza under Israeli control, only about half of the underground terrorist infrastructure has been destroyed after more than two years of Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip.

The extent of Hamas’ underground networks has reportedly astonished American military personnel and raised concerns among the IDF’s top brass.

Defense Minister Israel Katz has reportedly instructed the military to expand and accelerate tunnel detection efforts in areas under IDF control, deploying every available engineering team, many of which are now working around the clock to demolish the tunnels.

“The goal is to destroy all of the underground infrastructure of the terror organizations,” Katz was quoted as saying in a closed-door hearing.

Commanders from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) were stunned by both the scale of the tunnel networks and by the scope of Israeli efforts to map out and demolish them.

One American officer cited in the report said he would “never forget” the number of tunnels discovered, or the threat they posed to Israel.

Over the past two weeks, the IDF’s Southern Command has dramatically increased the pace of tunnel searches, with the rate of drilling also up significantly.

IDF forces operating under the Southern Command are also using alternative methods to destroy some of the tunnel networks, including pumping in seawater, pumping in liquid materials that harden and thus seal off tunnels, and demolishing them with high explosives.

“The use of the new material saves time, increases the pace of activity in the field, reduces risks to the forces and is very effective,” an engineering source told Walla.