(New York Times) Adam Goldman - Hamas's handbook for underground combat describes, in meticulous detail, how to navigate in darkness, move stealthily beneath Gaza, and fire automatic weapons in confined spaces for maximum lethality. Israeli officials spent years searching for and dismantling tunnels that Hamas could use to sneak into Israel to launch an attack. But assessing the underground network inside Gaza was not a priority, a senior Israeli official said, because an invasion and full-scale war there seemed unlikely. All the while, Hamas was girding for just such a confrontation. Were it not for the tunnels, experts say, Hamas would have stood little chance against the far superior Israeli military. Hamas prepared for subterranean battles that have not materialized. Hamas has primarily ambushed soldiers near tunnel entrances, using the tunnels to launch aboveground hit-and-run attacks, hide from Israeli forces, and detonate explosives using remote triggers and hidden cameras. While these maneuvers have slowed Israel's assault, its military has still decimated Hamas's ranks, routed them from strongholds, and forced them to abandon huge swaths of the tunnel network in which they invested so heavily.
2024-09-03 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive