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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| How Gaza Became An Underground Monster |
| 2014-07-22 |
| [Ynet] Analysis: IDF has unearthed 13 tunnels as part of its ground operation in Strip in past two days, dealing Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, both a financial and a moral blow. The IDF is taking pride in the number of tunnels unearthed in the past two days as part of the ground activity of Operation Protective Edge, and rightfully so: Beyond the possible terror attacks which have been thwarted — like the attempt to infiltrate a community in the Eshkol Regional Council on Saturday — Hamas has suffered a serious blow, both financially and morally. The cost of each tunnel, some of which extend over hundreds of kilometers, is huge. There are hundreds of people in the Strip whose only purpose in life is to dig. In general, the tunnel issue is defined in Gazoo as a national flagship project. It includes three types of tunnels: The smuggling tunnels on the Philadelphi Route in Rafah, the offensive tunnels along the border fence with Israel, and the strategic tunnels inside the Gazoo Strip which are meant to be used mainly for mobilizing forces between areas at times of emergency, but also for firing rockets, mine laying and kidnapping. In the past few years, some of the tunnels have been turned into launching pits in which rocket launchers are hidden. The launchers operate from a hatch which opens, and return to the hidden area immediately after firing the rockets. The use of the tunnels as launching pits is the result of the lessons learnt following Operation Cast Lead: Senior members of the Gazoo factions' military wings estimated that the rocket launchers served as a very easy target for the IDF due to the Israeli technological supremacy. At first they tried to fire from populated areas, from schools and even from cemeteries, but the relatively accurate thwarting of these attempts required a different solution, and they decided to use the tunnels. In addition to improving the rocket fire, the tunnels also provided a hiding place for the activists. A large part of the Gazoo leadership and the military wing's top commanders survived thanks to these tunnels. The contribution of these tunnels proved itself during Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, and their use only increased later on. One person in charge of each tunnel One of these tunnels was unearthed near Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha last year. Its entrance was located near the Southern Gazoo Strip city of Khan Younis. It's not the only one: According to estimates, there are additional tunnels in Gazoo which end under Israeli territory, and there are usually large gaps between them. The reason is the attempt to ensure — especially if the tunnels are also being used as launching pits — that even if one of them is destroyed in an IDF bombing, the rest will not be damaged. The Gazoo tunnel project is organized, calculated and does not leave any room for piracy. It is coordinated between all the factions' military wings and includes the registration of all the tunnels in the Strip, including the tunnels' routes, the ways to enter them and the destination according to which they are mapped. The tunnels are divided into four districts: The northern Strip, Gazoo city, the central Strip and the southern Strip. There is one person in charge of each district in coordination with the other districts, and only one person in charge of each tunnel. In order to maintain the secrecy, his name and the tunnel's route are kept confidential. The diggers and the person in charge of the district are the only ones familiar with the details. Each military wing in the Strip is permitted to dig a tunnel only after coordinating the activity with the person in charge of the district. An average dig takes about four months. Most of the tunnels are dug by hand during the night, and each tunnel is accurately calculated. The factions have defined every part of the Strip as eligible for a tunnel for military purposes. When a tunnel is dug near the border fence, those responsible for it notify the land owner, subject to security coordination, and stress the structural separation: Everything above the ground belongs to him and everything under the ground is under the responsibility of the military factions. If needed, he will be financially compensated. Thus, some of the land owners know that there is a tunnel under their lands, but they are unfamiliar with its route. In the beginning of Operation Protective Edge, the IDF attempted to destroy tunnels by attacking them from the air, but after 13 turbans tried to infiltrate Kibbutz Sufa through a tunnel and carry out a major attack, it was decided to launch a ground operation first and foremost in order to target the tunnel infrastructure. A senior military source reported Saturday that "in a maneuver of a day and a half, we managed to significantly damage Hamas' tunnel system. In less than 24 hours, Hamas lost 13 tunnels. They are the apple of its eye. We are carefully talking about depriving it of its tunneling abilities." |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #11 I have one more suggestion in dealing with Hamas, and that is to limit the real estate available to Hamas for tunneling. When tunnels are discovered, you push the border back to the entrance, gradually limiting action where they can start tunnels. I do not see any alternatives to this but to put the squeeze on them. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2014-07-22 20:41 |
| #10 #6 Unfortunately choking off funding won't happen. You are correct BC but so long as we and others keep sending aid to Hamas/Paleos, they will keep engaging in the cycle of violence with our money. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-07-22 17:13 |
| #9 Drink hardy my boys.. When I think of Gaza I can't quit thinking that the place just screams that it needs an Operation Linebacker. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2014-07-22 17:10 |
| #8 Vibroseis array along the border might make the moles nervous. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2014-07-22 15:15 |
| #7 Israel needs to get into digging anti-tunnel tunnels the way they did in the middle ages. Tunnel at the suspected depth, listen for tunnel sounds, adjust your tunnel. Break into the other tunnel and collapse it. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2014-07-22 15:02 |
| #6 Unfortunately choking off funding won't happen. I just received an inquiry from CH2MHill about working as a program manager on a major construction program funded by USAID in Gaza. Hmmm, how much of that building material is being stolen for use in the tunnels and how many of the workers being trained in the construction trades are plying their new found trade in the tunnels... I don't think I am going to apply for that position. |
| Posted by: Bill Clinton 2014-07-22 12:52 |
| #5 When bombs were the problem the Israelis went after the bomb makers. So, if only the tunnel leaders and diggers know what's going on, I say make that a very deadly profession to be in. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2014-07-22 09:46 |
| #4 When the Jewish settlers left their settlements at the insistence of the Israeli government, they left behind 3000 productive greenhouses which could be used to grow a variety of vegetables, herbs, and food. Hamas/Paleos trashed them all. They were more interested in buying rockets and building tunnels. Choke off their source of money from the UN, US, Tehran and other muzzie groups, and lefty groups (probably not going to happen). Maybe if they figure out they have to eat to survive, they might not be so likely to engage in tunnel building and sending rockets into Israel. Bottom line. They can go screw themselves. They brought on themselves whatever they get from the Israelis. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-07-22 08:47 |
| #3 Learned from the Cartels? They have been tunneling for decades. |
| Posted by: borgboy 2014-07-22 06:54 |
| #2 Just what we need photos of fluffy bunnies and furry kitties spaced out on LSD for the BBC. I like your thinking AP. |
| Posted by: Steven 2014-07-22 02:35 |
| #1 I was looking at a lot of pictures of tunnels. Quite an industry. One buttload of building materials. I mean, worth a lot of money. So Gaza has a big industry based on tunneling. These guys are bloody digging fanatics. They keep in close with civilians so an embargo of building materials hampers civilians from rebuilding so their "suffering" gets worldwide attention. So these guys can produce tunnels almost as fast as they can be destroyed. It seems to me that a multipronged attack is required. Destroy the known tunnels. Work with Egyptian army to deny tunnels on their side. Allow no building materials through Israel crossings. Work with Egypt on same. Set up remote underground sensing network to pick up hand digging near border. This activity requires lots of money. Dry it up. Put the hurt on financiers. If need be, eliminate diesel fuel to run generators. I saw pics of 50 kW diesel units under tarps for tunnel work. Do not rebuild electricity lines into Gaza. Start limiting water into Gaza from Israel. Or put L5D into the water and let em trip out (just kidding........or not) |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2014-07-22 01:12 |