Image Credits: NPR
The recent Israeli military rescue of Farhan al-Qadi, a member of Israel’s Bedouin Arab minority, from a Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip underscores the significant challenge posed by Hamas’s extensive subterranean network. This operation, carried out on Tuesday, highlights a key obstacle to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s objective of dismantling Hamas’s infrastructure: the intricate and widespread tunnel system that has become a central element in the ongoing conflict.
Israeli forces managed to free al-Qadi, who had been abducted on October 7, from an underground tunnel in southern Gaza. Initial reports suggest that Israeli troops stumbled upon al-Qadi while searching for Hamas fighters within the tunnel network. This marks the second notable instance in two weeks where Hamas’s tunnel system has played a pivotal role in Israel’s efforts to recover hostages. Last week, Israeli troops discovered the bodies of six hostages concealed behind concrete in an underground shaft linked to a 10-meter-deep tunnel.
The revelations about Hamas’s subterranean network, which spans hundreds of miles according to Israeli, Hamas, and U.S. officials, highlight the complexity and scale of this hidden aspect of the conflict. Dan Byman, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, notes that the tunnels have proven to be more extensive and convoluted than previously understood. “The tunnels are massive,” Byman remarked, emphasizing that their serpentine nature and scale have presented unexpected challenges.
These tunnels serve multiple strategic purposes for Hamas, offering not only a hiding place for leaders and hostages but also complicating Israeli military operations. The confined and labyrinthine nature of the tunnels makes them difficult to capture and destroy. Israeli forces face significant challenges in navigating and neutralizing these underground systems, which are protected by Hamas fighters and require a cautious approach to avoid collateral damage and risk to hostages.
Byman further explained that while Israel’s military advantage lies in its coordination and situational awareness, these strengths are diminished in the subterranean environment. Efforts to destroy the tunnels from above involve heavy bombing, which, while effective, poses risks to any hostages that may be hidden within. Given that hostages are a crucial bargaining chip for Hamas, it is likely that many remain concealed in these underground networks, adding to the complexity of Israel’s strategic objectives.