Tel Aviv: Israel is considering a new strategy to destroy the underground network of tunnels used by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The plan involves pumping seawater from the Mediterranean Sea into the tunnels, which would force the militants to surface and expose them to Israeli attacks.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Israel installed five large water pumps near the al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City last month, which can fill the tunnels with thousands of cubic meters of water per hour. The report cited US officials who said that Israel informed the US about the plan last month, but has not yet decided whether to implement it.
The report said that the plan was part of Israel’s response to the October 7 attack by Hamas, which killed 13 Israeli soldiers and abducted several hostages in southern Israel. It is unclear whether Israel would proceed with the plan after Hamas released all the hostages on Monday.
The plan has raised some concerns among US officials and experts, who warned that it could cause environmental damage to Gaza’s soil, contaminate the water with hazardous substances, and affect the foundations of buildings. The Times of Israel also reported that the plan could violate international law and human rights.
