Unearthed Secrets: Inside the Intricate Tunnel Network of Hamas beneath Gaza

The extensive network of tunnels beneath Gaza, often associated with smuggling goods and launching attacks into Israel, is also home to another underground system referred to as the "Gaza metro" by the Israel Defense Forces. This complex labyrinth of tunnels, speculated to span several kilometers beneath the surface, serves a variety of purposes. It facilitates the transportation of individuals and merchandise, houses rocket storage facilities and ammunition caches, and serves as a covert location for Hamas command and control centers. These underground facilities effectively evade detection by the IDFs aerial reconnaissance and surveillance drones.

In 2021, Hamas asserted that they had constructed approximately 500 kilometers (311 miles) of tunnels underneath Gaza. However, the accuracy of this claim remains uncertain, as it could potentially be an act of showmanship. If proven true, Hamas' underground tunnels would be just under half the length of the subway system in New York City. Daphne Richemond-Barak, an expert in underground warfare and a professor at Israel's Reichman University, described these tunnels as an intricate and extensive network within a relatively small region.

The cost of the tunnel network constructed by Hamas, the governing body of the impoverished coastal strip, remains uncertain. However, it is evident that this undertaking would have required substantial investment in terms of manpower and capital.

An Israeli commander tours Hamas and Islamic Jihad tunnels in February 2018.

Uriel Sinai/The New York Times/Redux

Since 2007, Gaza has been facing a comprehensive blockade from both Israel and Egypt, encompassing land, sea, and air. It is widely believed that Gaza lacks the machinery typically used for tunnel construction, making experts speculate that laborers using basic tools dug extensive underground tunnels that are equipped with electricity and reinforced with concrete. Israel has consistently accused Hamas of misallocating concrete intended for civilian and humanitarian projects towards tunnel building.

Additionally, critics of Hamas argue that the substantial funds invested in tunnel construction could have alternatively been used to finance bomb shelters or early warning networks for civilians, similar to those found in neighboring Israel.

The asymmetric advantage

The use of tunnels in warfare has been a prevalent strategy since medieval times. In the modern era, these tunnels provide militant groups such as Hamas with a distinct advantage in asymmetric warfare, effectively neutralizing certain technological benefits possessed by more advanced military forces like the IDF.

The difference between Hamas tunnels and those of al Qaeda in Afghanistan or the Viet Cong in Southeast Asia is that Hamas has constructed its underground network beneath one of the most densely populated areas on Earth. Gaza City, which covers 88 square miles, is home to nearly 2 million people. Dealing with tunnels is always challenging, regardless of the location, but when they are in an urban area like Gaza, the complexity increases. This includes considering tactical, strategic, operational aspects, as well as ensuring protection for the civilian population. According to Richemond-Barak, a senior fellow at the Lieber Institute for Law and Land Warfare and the Modern War Institute at West Point, these factors make the situation more difficult.

In April 2017, at an Israeli Army base in Petach Tikva, Israeli special combat soldiers utilized cutting-edge virtual reality battlefield technology for a training exercise. The exercise focused on simulating Hamas tunnels that connect Gaza to Israel.

Since the October 7 terror attack in Israel, where over 1,400 people, mostly civilians, lost their lives, the IDF has consistently claimed that Hamas is using these passages as hiding spots. They allege that these passages are located "beneath houses and within buildings populated by innocent Gazan civilians," effectively using them as human shields. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Israeli military airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 2,670 Palestinians.

The IDF is anticipated to target the network during its upcoming ground incursion into Gaza, following its past efforts to eliminate Hamas tunnels. In 2014, Israel initiated a ground assault on Gaza in an attempt to eradicate the underground passages.

According to the United Nations, on Friday, Israel issued a warning for approximately 1.1 million individuals living in Gaza to relocate to the south in preparation for the expected operation. Critics argued that such a demand was impractical to accomplish with limited notice in the midst of a war zone. The top UN human rights official criticized the evacuation order as a violation of the principles of warfare and basic humanity.

Evacuating civilians from Gaza City would enhance the safety of eliminating tunnels, despite the risky nature of these operations, as mentioned by Richemond-Barak.

In order to eliminate the tunnels, the IDF has the option to either temporarily disable them or completely destroy them. According to Richemond-Barak, the most effective approach for eliminating these underground passages usually involves bombing, although such airstrikes can have consequences for civilians.

It is evident that relying solely on technology will not be sufficient to counter the subterranean threat. Despite Israel's extensive investment in a smart system featuring advanced sensors and subterranean walls, Hamas successfully conducted their assault on October 7 via land, air, and sea.

Richemond-Barak emphasized the importance of taking a comprehensive approach that incorporates visual intelligence, border monitoring, and even community involvement to identify any suspicious activities. She acknowledged that there is no guaranteed solution to address the threat posed by tunnels, explaining that there is no equivalent of an Iron Dome for this particular challenge.