The chase between Israel and Hamas under the underground bunker system
FOA News – Hamas gunmen in Israel fired anti-tank missiles toward an IDF tank. Sometimes, the attacked side does not know where the opponent is. Even kidnapped teammates lost track of them in just a few minutes.
Israeli soldiers walked inside a large tunnel of Hamas that the country’s military discovered on December 15, 2023. Photo: Getty
An unexpected event happened at dawn on a summer day in June 2006 in Israel. Out of nowhere, Hamas gunmen suddenly appeared behind the defense line of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) near the Kerem Shalom border gate, in the south of the country.
A group of armed gunmen attacked a watchtower, an armored personnel carrier and an IDF tank. The attack was supported by fire from mortars and anti-tank rockets from Hamas on the Gaza side.
Hamas gunmen in Israel fired anti-tank missiles toward an IDF tank. The missile hit the rear of the tank at close range. Next, Hamas gunmen threw grenades into the car, killing two of the three soldiers inside.
Gilad Shalit, the remaining soldier, was injured and kidnapped by Hamas around 5 a.m. Less than 6 minutes later, the IDF lost track of this soldier.
When Israeli soldiers still did not know which direction to search for Shalit, Hamas gunmen used a 300m long tunnel, dug for many months, to quickly escape with their hostages. Thanks to this tunnel, Hamas gunmen can easily reach Israeli territory without being detected.
Previously, tunnels for non-economic purposes were often dug under enemy barracks to place explosives. But the kidnapping of soldier Shalit shows another use of tunnels in the Middle East: Kidnapping and directly attacking the enemy.
Hamas has established a special unit, named Nuhba, to carry out the above purpose. The use of underground bunkers in a new way, combined with the strategic impact of capturing an Israeli soldier right on Israeli territory, is said to have important meaning for Hamas.
However, after this incident on June 25, 2006, Israel’s policy regarding Hamas tunnels remained essentially unchanged. The Shalit soldier incident is said to be due to Israel’s lack of preparedness. Israeli officials still believe that cross-border tunnels are only a means to carry out sporadic attacks, not a strategic threat.
The second Lebanon War in 2006 demonstrated the scope of the threat from the underground bunker system.
Before the conflict, Hezbollah forces in Lebanon built a system of bunkers, tunnels and shelters linked together by a communication system and warehouses filled with food, water, and ammunition.
When the war broke out, Hezbollah fighters could re-supply themselves with supplies and ammunition while still avoiding enemy bombs. In addition, Hezbollah gunmen can also attack the Israeli army from many unexpected directions thanks to the underground bunker system.
After the second Lebanon war in July 2006. Israel began its efforts to deal with Hamas’s underground bunker system by building an underground combat training facility, training combat units in Israel’s southern border area.
This training facility prepares soldiers for subsequent confrontations. Two years later, a fight occurred between the Israeli army and Hamas. In a small operation called “Double Challenge”, Israeli soldiers raided Gaza to destroy a system of cross-border tunnels belonging to Hamas.
On December 27, 2008, the IDF launched a campaign to destroy Hamas tunnels on the Gaza-Egypt border. On the second day of the operation, the Israeli army destroyed 40 tunnels as well as the homes of senior Hamas figures.
During operations, the IDF soon realized that airstrikes were ineffective because Hamas fighters would retreat to the tunnels as soon as Israel launched an airstrike. Only a ground operation could discover and destroy the tunnels beneath the Gaza Strip. But the price to pay will be more casualties for both sides and even for civilians, because the tunnels are in densely populated areas.
In addition to being used to kidnap and directly attack enemies, tunnels are also used as a route to trade weapons, explosives or even human trafficking in the Middle East.
Since the early 2000s, IDF soldiers have been present in the Gaza Strip and are often surprised by Hamas gunmen using a tunnel system with booby traps. The IDF has established “tunnel groups”, forces tasked with identifying escape points and sealing or destroying Hamas tunnels.
As tensions between Palestinians and Israelis increased and Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, the nature of the tunnels began to change. They are used as a route to trade weapons, explosives or even human trafficking.
In addition, the general news site See Infra also said that, by digging tunnel systems under the Gaza – Egypt border and the Gaza – Israel border, Hamas has made underground tunnels a new threat.
Source (Getty, Reuters)
