Tunnels of terror

In the military fight against Hamas, Israel has acknowledged at least two major goals: to eliminate Hamas’ top Islamist leaders and to destroy Gaza’s vast underground tunnel system—a sophisticated network that Hamas built and uses to store weaponry, imprison hostages, launch attacks, and run private meetings, while evading Israeli intelligence.

Israel cannot achieve either goal without some form of ground invasion into Gaza. Air and sea forces will aid this operation, but land troops will have to carry it out. This means that large numbers of casualties are likely.

What is this Gazan tunnel system and what might a ground operation into Gaza entail?

After gaining the majority of votes against the Palestinian Authority in 2006, Hamas took control of Gaza and began digging a web of tunnels, with the goal of creating routes from Gaza into Israel and Egypt—the two countries bordering Gaza. Recent reports estimate that Gaza Strip has a chain of over 1,300 tunnels that run underground for over 500 kilometers (310 miles). This chain is known as “Gaza’s Metro,” and it runs under a small area (roughly twice the area of Washington, D.C., with over 2.1 million people). Some tunnels are roughly two yards high and similarly wide, and located as deep as 200 feet underground.

These tunnels brought crime to Egypt and weapons into Gaza, as Palestinians used them for smuggling. Palestinians also used the tunnels to stage attacks against Egyptian soldiers and civilians. In 2011, during the revolution against then-President Mubarak, many supporters of Hamas entered Egypt through these tunnels and supported the Muslim Brotherhood’s elevation to power. Egypt attempted to bomb and bury the tunnels, but the network is complex and still exists. Some of these tunnels are built under houses owned by Palestinians who charge passengers to cross between Egypt and Gaza, especially when the Rafah Port is closed. Many friends who have visited Gaza told me that the foundations of many buildings are less firm than they used to be, because of the continued digging of more tunnels.

Israel, too, suffers from these tunnels. Some of the tunnels lead from Gaza directly to adjacent Israeli residential compounds, which creates easy access for Hamas fighters to bypass military checkpoints and attack or kidnap Israeli civilians. In these tunnels, Hamas stores weaponry, fuel, generators, as well as food and water. Additionally, it’s in these tunnels that Hamas’ leaders hide and run their operations. Most of the tunnels are under residential Palestinian neighborhoods—one additional way for Hamas to ensure the tunnels won’t get bombed by Israel, if it were to follow international rules regarding preserving civilian lives.

From a military standpoint, if these tunnels are where Hamas leaders hide and where the group has its livelihood, then they are the most strategic target for Israel. Add to that the fact that Hamas most likely imprisons its hostages in these tunnels. Thus, the logic goes: To abolish Hamas, these tunnels must be destroyed through a ground invasion.

But a ground invasion and subsequent destruction of these tunnels will not be easily done.

Although Israel has an advantage in military might, Hamas knows the specifics of the land much better and can target Israelis from various locations simultaneously. Hamas fighters can use underground tunnels and the roofs of residential buildings concurrently, while moving fast and unchecked. If Israel attacks aggressively, many civilians will be killed, as Hamas fighters often mingle among the masses.

A ground invasion will be costly. Still, with its advanced military capabilities, Israel will eventually succeed, but the casualties will be high and the war might take weeks or months.

The matter of rescuing the hostages is hardly feasible or clear. After Hamas fighters infiltrated Israeli communities bordering Gaza, they took at least 150 hostages. Rescuing these hostages is a top priority to Israel, but a ground invasion cannot guarantee success. Not only are the locations where hostages are held uncertain, but Hamas vowed to kill them once Israel attacks.

There doesn’t seem to be a possibility of a clean conclusion in this fight, and many lives will be affected.

As of now, reports reveal that Israel has summoned over 360,000 reservists as it prepares for a ground invasion of Gaza. The risk is high and anything may go wrong. Knowing that Hamas uses civilians as human shields, and can protect itself behind civilian hostages, we can only imagine what lies ahead.