Unearthing the ‘Gaza Metro’: Uncovering 300 Miles of Hamas Subterranean Terror Tunnels

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) is well known for its ability to successfully handle covert operations and defensive strategies. However, the Gaza Metro could possibly be its greatest challenge yet. Along the border of the Gaza Strip and Israel lies an estimated 300 miles of smuggling tunnels – a Hamas Subway that provides a network of underground access to move people and weapons throughout the region. For years both sides have been able to use these tunnels as means of transporting goods in and out of the Gaza Strip, however with increasing tensions between Hamas and Israel in recent years, it is becoming more and more likely that these tunnels will be used to launch terrorist attacks into Israel. This has created a dangerous and volatile situation for the Israeli population who live within Range of the Gaza Strip. The IDF has been increasingly focused on monitoring and disrupting the usage of the Hamas Subway for a number of years, though to no avail. Close surveillance of the area and airstrikes have been conducted with the goal of stopping potential threats, but with a 360 mile long network, it is almost impossible to effectively seal off. And the fact that the Hamas have resorted to digging even deeper into the earth, to depths as deep as 400 feet, in order to evade detection, only adds to the challenge in trying to protect Israel from the threat of the Hamas Subway. It is now up to the Israel Defense Forces to devise a new strategy that can put an effective seal on the Hamas Subway and prevent any further invasions of Israeli territory. It is clear that the surveillance and airstrikes are not enough, and that the IDF must look towards other methods which can assist in achieving the goal of disabling the Hamas Subway. For instance, the IDF could possibly start looking into resources such as artificial intelligence which can provide insight about the terrain, as well as ways of detecting and crippling the tunnels to prevent terrorists from escaping. Other methods of disrupting the tunnels could include using ground penetrating radar to pinpoint the exact location of a tunnel entrance, as well as the location of any potential traps or weapons caches located inside of the tunnels. It is going to take more than simply surveillance and airstrikes to make sure that the Gaza Metro no longer poses a threat to Israeli citizens, and the Israel Defense Force must continue to come up with innovative strategies to stop the threat of the Hamas Subway. Only then will Israel will be secure from the danger which is posed by the tunnels and the terrorists that use them.