The IDF on Tuesday finally allowed the Israeli media to publish more comprehensive details about its anti-tunnel flooding project against Hamas in Gaza.
Israeli officials have been leaking details to foreign media about what they called “Atlantis” for months, but the censor has actively prevented The Jerusalem Post and others from disclosing these details.
The IDF said that the flooding tool is one of many for fighting Hamas’s tunnels, including also explosives, robots, air strikes, and sending in soldiers.
While the system has made real contributions to combatting Hamas’s tunnels in some areas, there are many limits, and it is not seen as a solution to the whole tunnel problem by “snapping one’s fingers” type solution. It is well known that Hamas’s tunnels move in many different directions and use blast doors and other items, which could thwart or reduce the effectiveness of the flooding system.
Flooding system most effective closer to coast
The flooding system is most effective near the Mediterranean Sea and cannot be used in areas where the IDF has concerns that it could harm the Gaza land in the long term.
Special IDF analysts study different kinds of topography also to see where it is likely to be most valuable in destroying tunnels.
In addition, the IDF said that it took time to deploy the system since a whole specialized array of units had to be trained to deploy it.
A statement said that the system is ” a breakthrough” for fighting Hamas’s tunnels and exemplified positive cooperation between the Defense Ministry, the IDF, and other defense bodies.
The IDF declined to provide any data about how many tunnels have been destroyed by the system.
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