Israel began to flood the Gaza tunnels, and there were five more moves to force Hamas to come out
Several U.S. media outlets have said that the Israeli military has begun to introduce seawater into Gaza's tunnel system, although it is still in the testing phase to see how damaging will work. In addition to flooding, the Israeli army has five options to be tested, including air strikes, the use of liquid explosives, the dispatch of robots, the release of dogs, and drones.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli forces have begun to inject seawater into Gaza's vast tunnel system; CNN reported that Israel has notified the U.S. that it has begun testing the destructive capabilities of water-filled tunnels.
The IDF has set up five large pumping machines near the al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, capable of pumping thousands of cubic meters of seawater into tunnels per hour, meaning that the Israeli army has the ability to flood the entire Hamas tunnel system in a matter of weeks.
The United States is concerned that diverting sea water to flood tunnels could jeopardize the supply of fresh water in Gaza. In 2015, Egypt diverted seawater into the Hamas tunnels near the Rafah crossing, and nearby farmers protested against Egypt's destruction of farmland. In addition, the influx of seawater into the tunnels may affect the foundation of the building.
U.S. President Joe Biden refused to confirm whether the news was true on the 12th. In response to the report, a spokesman for the Israeli Defense Ministry also declined to comment, saying only that the tunnel operation was highly classified.
