The Times of Israel, the New York Times and numerous other publications reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement Jan. 30 confirming that the military “has implemented new capabilities to neutralize underground terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip by channeling large volumes of water into the tunnels.” The IDF developed “several tools for injecting high-flow water into Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip,” the statement said, adding that they were employing them as “part of the variety of tools the IDF has for dealing with tunnels.”
There had been rumors and source reports going back to last October that the IDF was engaging in this activity, but now it has been officially confirmed. The consequences will be disastrous for all life in the region. As the New York Times reported, “despite large volumes of water being pumped, many of the tunnels are porous, resulting in seepage into the surrounding soil rather than a deluge through the passageways.”
“It will cause severe damage to the already fragile water and sewage infrastructure that’s in Gaza,” said Lynn Hastings, then the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator for the Palestinian Territories, in a Dec. 13, 2023, press briefing
