Extracts from “The tunnels: How Hamas buried Gaza’s future” by Professor Shlomo Maital, in The Jerusalem Report – with grateful thanks.
IDF estimates state that each stretch of tunnel costs $3 million, using prefabricated concrete and iron. And there are many dozens of them. They have spacious rooms for command and control, hospitals, and even places where Hamas terrorist host their families.
Can the tunnels be destroyed by aerial bombardment?
Only in theory, the civilian toll would be immense and unacceptable. Aerial bombs alone cannot do the trick.
How did Egypt try to destroy the smuggling tunnels leading into Sinai?
A vast system of tunnels was built from Gaza, leading south into Egypt’s Sinai, for purposes of smuggling weapons and people. Egypt at one point pumped sewage and sea water into these tunnels, igniting a huge Palestinian protest……
Can Gazan civilians shelter in the tunnels?
Hamas does not allow it. it bans civilians. from using them for shelter. Let’s run some numbers. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who spent years in an Israeli jail and was released in a hostage exchange, bragged in 2021 that there are 300 miles of tunnels under Gaza – fully the length of the New York City subway. This is an exaggeration. But suppose there are, say, 100 miles of tunnels. One hundred miles of tunnel, even ignoring the huge halls built for hostages and command centers, could shelter 260,000 Gazans – enough to house, say, over half of Gazan children 12 and under….
How does Hamas provide power for the tunnels?
Tunnels have to be well-ventilated, lit, and equipped for communications. This is done nthrough generators powered by diesel fuel. IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari estimates Hamas has at least half a million liters of fuel underground.
A 100 kilowatt generator uses 7.4 gallons of diesel (28 liters) per hour, or 672 liters per 24 hours, 4,700 liters per week. This suggests Hamas has enough diesel to power 100 generators for a week.
Picture (inspiration for Gaza?): Submarine torpedo in old Soviet underground warship ammunition depot, Sevastopol, Crimea
