Israel considering flooding Gaza tunnels with seawater

(Patria) - Israel has assembled a large system of pumps that could be used to flood tunnels used by Hamas under the Gaza Strip in an attempt to drive out fighters, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Monday, citing U.S. officials, Reuters reported.

In mid-November, the Israeli military completed the installation of at least five pumps about a mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp that could transfer thousands of cubic meters of water per hour and flood the tunnels within weeks, the report said.

It was unclear whether Israel would consider using the pumps before all hostages were released, the story said. Hamas had previously said it was holding prisoners in "safe places and tunnels".

Asked about the WSJ story, a U.S. official said it made sense for Israel to make the tunnels inoperable and that the country was exploring a range of ways to do so.

Israel's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Wall Street Journal states that an official from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the flooding plan, but was quoted as saying: "The IDF is working to dismantle Hamas's terrorist capabilities in various ways, using various military and technological tools."

Israel first informed the United States of this option last month, the Wall Street Journal reported, adding that officials do not know how close Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was to implementing the plan. Israel has not made a final decision to proceed with or rule out this plan, officials said.