The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials said Israel has established a large pumping system that could be used to flood tunnels utilized by Hamas beneath the Gaza Strip in an effort to flush out its fighters. The report, published on Monday, mentioned that in mid-November, the Israeli military completed the placement of at least five pumps about a mile north of the Beach Refugee Camp, capable of transferring thousands of cubic meters of water per hour and flooding the tunnels within weeks.
The report noted that it was unclear whether Israel would consider using the pumps before the release of all hostages. Hamas previously stated that it had hidden hostages in "safe places and tunnels." An American official, when asked about the newspaper's report, indicated that it makes sense for Israel to work on rendering the tunnels unusable and that it is exploring a range of ways to do so.
The Wall Street Journal cited an Israeli military official who refrained from commenting on the tunnel flooding plan but quoted him as saying, "The Israel Defense Forces are working to dismantle Hamas's terrorist capabilities in various ways, using different military and technological tools." The newspaper reported that Israel first informed the United States of this option last month, noting that officials do not know how close Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is to implementing the plan. Officials stated that Israel has not made a final decision to proceed with or rule out the plan.
