US Official Reports: Israel Commences Limited Seawater Flooding of Gaza Tunnels

Israel has reportedly informed the US that they have begun testing the flooding of some tunnels in Gaza with seawater as a measure to degrade Hamas's underground network. This limited testing aims to assess the effectiveness of the strategy, with the assurance that it is being conducted only in tunnels believed to be free of hostages. The success of this approach remains uncertain. President Joe Biden acknowledged the assertions but expressed uncertainty about the absence of hostages, emphasizing the tragic nature of civilian casualties. The Israeli military or government has not officially commented on this reported development. Earlier, Israel's army claimed to have destroyed over 500 tunnel shafts in Gaza, some located in civilian areas and structures. In 2021, Hamas asserted the construction of 500 km of tunnels, but the accuracy of this claim remains uncertain.

Key Points:

1. Israel has reportedly informed the US that it is conducting limited tests to flood some of Gaza's tunnels with seawater, aiming to assess its effectiveness in degrading Hamas's underground network.

2. The US official mentioned that Israel is uncertain about the success of this method but emphasized that they are taking precautions to test it only in tunnels where they believe no hostages are present.

3. President Joe Biden, when asked about the flooding of tunnels, stated that there are assertions about the absence of hostages, but he cannot confirm it. He expressed concern over civilian casualties, considering each one a tragedy.

4. There has been no official comment from the Israeli military or government regarding the reported testing of flooding tunnels. Earlier, Israel claimed to have destroyed over 500 tunnel shafts in Gaza, some of which were located in civilian areas.

5. In 2021, Hamas asserted the construction of 500 km of tunnels under Gaza, but the accuracy of this claim remains unclear.

(With Agency Inputs)