Israeli forces have been destroying the Hamas network of tunnels since the start of the fighting there. Even so, most of those tunnels have yet to be demolished. It is not an easy task to destroy subterranean passages build out of concrete and steel. The tunnels are too deep to be affected by bombs from aircraft, so Israeli troops have to enter the tunnels, rig substantial amounts of explosives and then detonate them. In tunnels that are two or even three miles long, that is a slow and dangerous task.
More than anything, the slow going on tunnel demolition is what is preventing a complete cease fire in Gaza. Hamas has lost the fighting, and that realization seems to have seeped into the minds of most of the Hamas terrorists. In the last two days, the Israelis took a rather large number of terrorists prisoner when Hamas fighters surrendered. That sort of event simply did not happen at the start of the fighting a few weeks ago. In other locations, Israeli troops have attacked Hamas positions only to find that the Hamas terrorists in those positions have fled and left behind their weapons and supplies. The will of the Hamas terrorists to continue the fight is failing.
We are in the middle of a twelve hour humanitarian cease fire in Gaza. Hopefully, the time will actually be used to get food and medical supplies to the civilians in Gaza. My guess is that Hamas will use the time to try to regroup and re-energize its fighters. Hopefully, the Israelis can use the time to continue the demolition of more of the tunnels that they now control. If the tunnels were all destroyed, Israel would be able to announce victory and leave Gaza.
But why are these tunnels so key to the end of this fighting? The answer is simple: the tunnels give Hamas a secret way into Israel so as to enable Hamas to launch fast attacks on civilians. The Israelis have already uncovered a plan by Hamas to attack on the Jewish New Year in September, an attack which the current fighting has thankfully prevented. The Israeli government will have little choice but to demolish as much of the tunnel network as possible to prevent future attacks from Hamas.
More than anything, the slow going on tunnel demolition is what is preventing a complete cease fire in Gaza. Hamas has lost the fighting, and that realization seems to have seeped into the minds of most of the Hamas terrorists. In the last two days, the Israelis took a rather large number of terrorists prisoner when Hamas fighters surrendered. That sort of event simply did not happen at the start of the fighting a few weeks ago. In other locations, Israeli troops have attacked Hamas positions only to find that the Hamas terrorists in those positions have fled and left behind their weapons and supplies. The will of the Hamas terrorists to continue the fight is failing.
We are in the middle of a twelve hour humanitarian cease fire in Gaza. Hopefully, the time will actually be used to get food and medical supplies to the civilians in Gaza. My guess is that Hamas will use the time to try to regroup and re-energize its fighters. Hopefully, the Israelis can use the time to continue the demolition of more of the tunnels that they now control. If the tunnels were all destroyed, Israel would be able to announce victory and leave Gaza.
But why are these tunnels so key to the end of this fighting? The answer is simple: the tunnels give Hamas a secret way into Israel so as to enable Hamas to launch fast attacks on civilians. The Israelis have already uncovered a plan by Hamas to attack on the Jewish New Year in September, an attack which the current fighting has thankfully prevented. The Israeli government will have little choice but to demolish as much of the tunnel network as possible to prevent future attacks from Hamas.
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