Watch: Gaza's Terror Tunnels Big Enough To Drive A Truck Through
Gaza's 'terror tunnels' are in some instances literally big enough to drive a truck through, as several social media clips to emerge over the weekend show.
Israel's military has been releasing more information on the tunnels, even recently giving Western reporters a tour of a pacified wing of the tunnel network, to show the world what it's up against. Currently the IDF is still seeking to flood the tunnels, or at least significant sections of them, by pumping in seawater.
Reporters with the NY Times have seen some of the tunnels, and write: "The tunnel in the northern Gaza Strip is wide enough for a large car to pass through, reinforced with concrete and fitted with electrical wiring."
"And at least one section of the tunnel — which Israel says is the largest it has discovered in Gaza so far — is within walking distance of an Israeli border crossing."
This adds further context to help understand how Hamas terrorists were able to be so successful in rapidly infiltrating Israeli military bases and kibbutz communities during the events of Oct.7.
Another new to emerge video clip purports to show a senior Hamas commander having a casual drive inside a very wide and tall tunnel.
The IDF reveals footage obtained from the Gaza Strip showing senior Hamas commander Muhammed Sinwar, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, in a car driving through the major tunnel revealed earlier today by the military. pic.twitter.com/PPr0jOSKSp
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) December 17, 2023
Hamas says top engineers have worked on these tunnels, and that they can sustain anticipated Israeli actions such as flooding with seawater from the Mediterranean.
The IDF's chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, was quoted in the NYT as saying, "This tunnel had been built for years."
"Millions of dollars have been spent on this tunnel, hundreds of tons of cement, a lot of electricity. Instead of spending all of them — the money, the cement, the electricity — on hospitals, schools, housing and other needs of the Gazans," he added.
Israeli officials are being criticized for not detecting a newly uncovered tunnel in Gaza before the October 7 attack by Hamas. pic.twitter.com/GINRsoph60
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) December 18, 2023
Israel has sought to underscore that Hamas steals and diverts international humanitarian aid for the sake of its tunnels, which serve a military and terroristic purpose.
This is part of Israel's PR campaign to explain to the world why it has long limited and restricted aid trucks passing through the Rafah crossing from Egypt.
The Israel Defense Forces have publicized more footage of the tunnels in the following...
EXPOSED: The biggest Hamas terrorist tunnel discovered.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 17, 2023
This massive tunnel system branches out and spans well over four kilometers (2.5 miles). Its entrance is located only 400 meters (1,310 feet) from the Erez Crossing—used by Gazans on a daily basis to enter Israel for work… pic.twitter.com/RcjK5LbvGL
Given not only the immense size of the tunnels, but the fact that the underground network stretches for miles, Israel will have an extremely tough time fully destroying Hamas, which Netanyahu has vowed to do. Israel has said it will not send ground forces into the tunnels, but will disable them by other means.