Israel has reportedly deployed a significant system of pumps aimed at potentially flooding tunnels used by Hamas beneath the Gaza Strip, as disclosed by US officials to the Wall Street Journal on Monday. The construction of at least five pumps, capable of moving thousands of cubic meters of water per hour, was said to be completed by the Israeli army around mid-November, located approximately a mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp. The intention behind this move is to render the tunnels inoperable and dislodge Hamas fighters.

The report did not confirm whether Israel would initiate the pumping operation before the release of all hostages held by Hamas. The group has previously claimed to have concealed captives in secure locations and tunnels. Reuters has been unable to independently verify the specifics of the Wall Street Journal's report.

In response to the story, a US official stated that it would be logical for Israel to disable the tunnels, and the country is reportedly exploring various methods to achieve this goal. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the flooding plan, but an IDF official mentioned, "The IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas's terror capabilities in various ways, using different military and technological tools." As of now, Israel's defense ministry has not provided a response to requests for comments on the matter.

Israel has reportedly deployed a significant system of pumps aimed at potentially flooding tunnels used by Hamas beneath the Gaza Strip, as disclosed by US officials to the Wall Street Journal on Monday. The construction of at least five pumps, capable of moving thousands of cubic meters of water per hour, was said to be completed by the Israeli army around mid-November, located approximately a mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp. The intention behind this move is to render the tunnels inoperable and dislodge Hamas fighters.

The report did not confirm whether Israel would initiate the pumping operation before the release of all hostages held by Hamas. The group has previously claimed to have concealed captives in secure locations and tunnels. Reuters has been unable to independently verify the specifics of the Wall Street Journal's report.

In response to the story, a US official stated that it would be logical for Israel to disable the tunnels, and the country is reportedly exploring various methods to achieve this goal. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the flooding plan, but an IDF official mentioned, "The IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas's terror capabilities in various ways, using different military and technological tools." As of now, Israel's defense ministry has not provided a response to requests for comments on the matter.