Hamas's hidden tunnels pose challenges for Israel's Gaza offensive

Israel's military capabilities far exceed those of Hamas in terms of technology, but the militant group possesses a unique advantage in the form of an extensive network of secretive underground tunnels. (Reuters photo)

Israel has allocated over $1 billion for an underground barrier along its 60-kilometer Gaza Strip border and invested hundreds of millions in tunnel detection systems known as the 'Iron Wall' and 'Iron Spade.' (Reuters photo)

These hidden tunnels were utilized to support cross-border attacks that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people last week, alongside incursions by air, land, and sea. (Reuters photo)

Israel's potential ground invasion of Gaza is hindered by the underground network, made more challenging by Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, claiming to hold Israeli hostages in subterranean rooms. (Reuters photo)

In 2021, Israel reported the destruction of 100 kilometers of tunnels beneath Gaza, while Hamas maintained that they had a network spanning 500 kilometers, with only 5% of it being impacted. (Reuters photo)

In 2014, Israel invested in a tunnel-detection system by Elbit Systems and Rafael, the same companies behind the Iron Dome missile defense system. (Reuters photo)

Sensors have limitations; they can't detect turning tunnels and are prone to confusion at intersections, as found in research by the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Studies.
(Reuters photo)

For years, Hamas has utilized Gaza's densely-populated underground tunnels to hide weapons, command centers, and combatants. (Reuters photo)

Experts suggest that some tunnels reach depths of 35 meters and may even include features like railroad tracks and communication rooms. (Reuters photo)

These tunnels often have entrances located within residential buildings or other public facilities. (Reuters photo)

Initially, the underground network primarily served as a means to smuggle goods and weapons from Egypt into the narrow strip of land from which Israel withdrew in 2005. (Reuters photo)

Around a decade ago, Egypt initiated a coordinated campaign to suppress these tunnels, employing tactics such as flooding to destroy them. (Reuters photo)