Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has readied plans to flood tunnels under the Gaza Strip with water pumped from the Mediterranean Sea, The Wall Street Journal reported on December 5.
Citing United States officials, the report said that the IDF last month set up five large water pumps near the al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, which are capable of flooding the subterranean network within weeks by pumping thousands of cubic meters of water per hour into the tunnels.
The officials noted that Israel alerted the U.S. about the plan last month, but has not yet decided on whether to implement it.
According to the report, opinions in the Biden administration were mixed, with some officials expressing concern about the Israeli plan while others say they back Israel’s efforts to destroy the tunnels and say there isn’t necessarily any American opposition.
Among the concerns cited in the report were potential damage to Gaza’s aquifer and soil, if seawater and hazardous substances in the tunnels seeped into them.
“We are not sure how successful pumping will be since nobody knows the details of the tunnels and the ground around them,” a person familiar with the plan is quoted as saying. “It’s impossible to know if that will be effective because we don’t know how seawater will drain in tunnels no one has been in before.”
The report raised concern over the safety of the Israeli hostages held by the Hamas Movement and other armed factions in Gaza, who are likely being kept in tunnels.
Commenting on the report, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said that flooding tunnels under Gaza with seawater was “a good idea.”
“We are seeing a lot of underground infrastructure in Gaza, we knew there would be a lot. Part of the goal is to destroy this infrastructure,” Halevi said in response to a question regarding the report in The Wall Street Journal.
“We have various ways [to deal with the tunnels], I won’t talk about specifics, but they include explosives to destroy, and other means to prevent Hamas operatives from using the tunnels to harm our soldiers,” he explained.
“Therefore, any means which give us an advantage over the enemy that [uses the tunnels], deprives it of this asset, is a means that we are evaluating using. This is a good idea, but I won’t comment on its specifics,” Halevi added.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response to the report that he won’t “volunteer information to the enemy.” He also noted he won’t go into technical and operational details regarding IDF operations endangering hostages in Gaza.
Flooding Gaza with seawater will threaten the lives of Israeli hostages and cause a lasting environmental disaster. Despite these risks, the IDF could go on with its plan as it continues to receive unconditional support from the U.S.
