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The Gaza–Israel conflict is a localized part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict originating at least from 1948 when 200,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes, settling in Gaza as refugees.
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A vast network of tunnels used for smuggling and warfare purposes exists under the Gaza Strip. The underground tunnel network allows Hamas and other militant groups to store and shield weapons, gather and move underground, communicate, train, launch offensive attacks, transport hostages, and retreat without being detected by Israeli or Egyptian authorities. This network of tunnels is colloquially referred to as the Gaza metro.
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Israel has accused Hamas of using human shields in the Gaza Strip, saying that Hamas has purposely attempted to shield itself from Israeli attacks by storing weapons in civilian infrastructure, launching rockets from residential areas, and telling residents to ignore Israeli warnings to flee. Israel has also accused Hamas of maintaining command and control bunkers and tunnel infrastructure below hospitals. Hamas has denied using hospitals to shield any command center, while it has previously made remarks expressing support for Palestinians refusing to flee areas Israel has targeted.
During the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, Israel and the United States stated that a vast complex existed under the hospital that was being used by Hamas as its "main operations base", which Hamas and hospital administrators denied. Following Israel's release of video evidence on 22 November, multiple news agencies concluded that the evidence did not demonstrate the use by Hamas of a command center. The New York Times also said the evidence does not show conclusive evidence of a vast network of tunnels, while Haaretz concluded that Hamas did use the hospital for military purposes. Amnesty International said on 23 November 2023 that "Amnesty International has so far not seen any credible evidence to support Israel’s claim that al-Shifa is housing a military command centre" and that "the Israeli military has so far failed to provide credible evidence" for the allegation. Izzat al-Risheq, a Hamas official, denied that the group used the hospital as a shield for its underground military structures, saying there was no truth to the claims.
The 2023 Israel-Hamas war led to an intensive interrogation program by Israeli intelligence agencies, particularly Israel's domestic security agency, Shin Bet and IDF's Unit 504, targeting captured Hamas militants. Following the surprise Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli casualties, mostly civilian, more than 600 militants were captured in Israel. Israel has claimed that the interrogation of the suspects revealed significant insights into the group's strategies, ideologies, and operational methods that played a crucial role in Israel's military response and in shaping the global understanding of the conflict.
References
- 1 2 3 Nicholls, Dominic (Oct 30, 2023). "'Sponge bombs': Israel's new secret weapon for inside Hamas tunnels". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2023-10-30. Retrieved Oct 30, 2023.
- ↑ Pradhan, Sucheta (Oct 28, 2023). "Sponge Bomb: IDF's New Way To Fight Subterranean Threats" . Retrieved Oct 30, 2023.
- ↑ "Israel's Innovative Solution In War Against Hamas: 'Sponge Bombs' To Seal Off Gaps In Gaza Tunnels. Explained". menafn.com. Retrieved Oct 30, 2023.
- 1 2 Trevithick, Joseph (Oct 27, 2023). "Does Israel Really Have 'Sponge Bombs' For Sealing Tunnels?". The Drive. Retrieved Oct 30, 2023.
- ↑ "What Are Israel's New Secret Weapon "Sponge Bombs" And How They Work?". NDTV.com. Retrieved Oct 30, 2023.
