What does the network of secret tunnels used by Hamas in Gaza look like?
What does the network of secret tunnels used by Hamas in Gaza look like?
An extensive secret network of tunnels built under the Gaza Strip serves as a refuge for members of Palestinian extremist groups, in addition to being used for the movement and transfer of weapons and materials.
The Palestinian Hamas movement says that its tunnels extend for 500 kilometers under an area of 360 square kilometers.
Israel says it is attacking parts of the maze of tunnels built by Hamas, as it continues to respond to the Palestinian movement’s unprecedented attack on October 7.
The Israeli government says it wants to “wipe Hamas off the face of the earth,” and to do so it needs to destroy these tunnels, which are often used to launch attacks against Israel.
In 2015, BBC correspondent Quentin Somerville gained access to a secret tunnel network used by another Palestinian group in Gaza, Islamic Jihad.
“You can see how well it’s built,” Somerville noted in front of the state-of-the-art structure.
Many of the tunnels are up to 30 meters underground and have entrances located inside residential buildings, putting civilians at risk of air strikes.
It is also believed that the hostages taken by Hamas in the attack on Israel on the 7th of this month may be hiding in tunnels like these.
