Hamas Tunnels: The “Metro” Infrastructure in all its Glory
The Israeli news site, N12 provided new information attained on the Hamas tunnels within built-up civilian areas, nick-named the “Metro”. This is where donor dollars are going instead of for food, medications, hospitals, education, bomb shelters for the population, and other purposes generally considered essential by sane societies. The tunnel system is one of the major items on the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) list of military targets for the current operation, called Guardian of the Walls. Here is my translation from the Hebrew article:
Estimates shows that, over the last decade, Hamas has invested most of its funds and energies in digging a tunnel infrastructure spreading the entire length of the Gaza Strip — at the heart of the civilian population. Following the damage to the Hamas tunnel project [for those tunnels crossing the border] into Israel as part of the Tzuk Eitan Operation [2014], Hamas built and is still bulding its combat strategy on the basis of its ability to infiltrate Israel underground and it budgets many resources toward this end. In the framework of the current operation, the IDF has damaged this internal tunnel network as a step complementary to the destruction of the tunnels into Israel.
The Hamas tunnels fulfill many purposes, among them preparation for an ambush in case Israel enters Gaza with ground forces, action against the attacks, launching of mortars and activation of RPG units, infiltration into Israeli territory and for the provision of assistance to residents of the Strip during wartime.
In the tunnels are extensive electric and water infrastructures, including toilets, showers and rooms in which Hamas activists who stay there can rest. Until now, Hamas has invested tens of millions of dollars per month in digging the tunnels meant for internal and external attacks and it continues to invest in them at the expense of civilian needs. For example, during the Corona crisis, the organization continued to operate the tunnels at the expense of residents’ health needs. The cost of building one kilometer of tunnels is estimated at about half a million dollars.
The IDF website has an abundance of information on Operation Guardian of the Walls. Unfortunately, there is more in Hebrew than in English.
In this video, we get a glimpse of some of the Hamas tunnels and the huge financial investment is obvious:
An illustration demonstrating the integration of Hamas operations within the civilian population:
Illustration showing Hamas tunnels that have connections to ground both in open ground and from civilian buildings that often also serve as Hamas operations offices. Image credit: idf.il
A map showing the “Metro” underground tunnel system underlying civilian population areas:
Map showing the distribution of the massive tunnel infrastructure built by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Image credit: idf.il
And finally, let us see how the IDF attacks the Hamas tunnels (translation of the Hebrew titles below the video):
- Preparation of ground forces before the attack
- Movement of ground forces toward the border
- Arming the planes for the attack
- Ground forces attack
- The air force attacks
We can see the coordination between the ground forces and the air force, essential for success of the operations. What seems absolutely remarkable is how the bombs find their way into the tunnel system without bringing down surrounding buildings. And where building are involved as targets, the civilians working or living there are warned and told to leave in order to survive the attack.
Feature Image Credit: IDF website media
Now, Ms. Oz, start working to make the land from the river to the sea a land for all of its people, a land where there is no state sponsored discrimination or segregation, a land that does not favor one group over another. a land where there is no oppression, a land where everyone enjoys equal rights, human rights, liberty, freedom, and justice. Then everyone will have less need for weapons of war, Including Israel.
You are really naive if you think that the Jews in such a land you envision would be safe nevermind treated equally.
So why did Zionist Jews move to a foreign, Arab land if they didn’t want to live as equals with the local non-Jewish population?
And meanwhile, it’s the Zionists behaving exactly as you fear the Palestinians would.
Hello, Ms. Oz, I do hope that you’re well. You’ll be happy to know that this will probably be my last comment. I wonder if you will have the courage to post it.
Your beliefs are based on bigotry, prejudice, racism, generalizations, or stereotypes. That is why, for example, you don’t want Palestinian refugees to return to their property. That is why you emphasize, for example, the alleged or exaggerated expulsion of Jews from other countries but apparently do not believe that Palestinians that were expelled or refused reentry deserve justice.
You also believe in collective punishment and treating people as a monolith. That is why you hold Muslims today responsible for what happened in 635 C.E.
You are also a typical solipsistic Zionist, quite insular in your thinking. You support discrimination and segregation.
You are wrong about so many basic facts. I’m sure you’re also unaware that a prominent Palestinian wrote Theodore Herzl in about 1898 and implored him to leave Palestine alone because it was already quite populated.
You represent backward, nationalistic thinking. Your ilk aren’t part of the problem, you are the problem. You are an oppressor, a settler colonialist. The world’s future will not belong to your ilk. It will belong to people who don’t create artificial barriers between people, especially barriers based on Bronze Age myths, children’s fairytales.
Please remember 2 things. First, anyone anywhere else who said I’m back after 2000 years would be laughed out of town. Second, the land between the river and the sea is not a land in a history book or the Torah or other holy books: one just can’t ignore changes that have occurred over 1000s of years.
Goodbye, Ms. Oz née Burns.
There! It’s posted. You had your say. I don’t know why you repeat your comment wondering if I have the courage to post your comments. I have never backed down from posting your comments. In this case, you make so many assumptions about me and errors in fact that it would require a book to answer you. In fact, I have dealt with some of the issues you raise in other articles on this website. I have also noticed that, while I have no problem acknowledging when I err (as I am only human and cannot be expected to know everything), when I point out a factual error on your part (such as when Hamas was founded) you ignore it and move on to some other point.
You are welcome to your opinions.
Thank you and goodbye.