Military and strategic expert Major General Fayez Al-Dweiri stated that the effectiveness and efficiency of the tunnel network in the battles of the Gaza Strip is due to a defensive approach implemented by the Al-Qassam Brigades – the military wing of the Hamas Movement – to confront the occupying forces and neutralize their threat.
In his analysis for Al Jazeera, Al-Dweiri noted that the defensive approach resulted from the integration of three elements: the extensive network of tunnels, the preparation of the individual fighter, and the equipment that ensures the neutralization of the opposing advantage.
Regarding the tunnel network, he mentioned that initial discussions estimated between 500 and 570 kilometers, but recent Western reports have presented a different view, ranging from 560 kilometers to 720 kilometers, revealing the existence of 5700 tunnel openings.
He emphasized that the tunnel network was constructed so that “if a part of it is discovered, it does not lead to the discovery of the whole,” adding, “This is why there is a multiplicity of tunnel layers at depths of 30, 60, and 80 meters, as well as a diversity in their strategic, storage, offensive, and defensive types.”
The second point in the defensive approach – according to the strategic expert – relies on physically, professionally, ideologically, and skillfully preparing the individual fighter, in reference to their ability to endure conditions with low oxygen levels, total darkness, and absence of sunlight, along with remaining in a state of near constant vigilance.
The third focal point – as per Al-Dweiri – is about the military equipment which is supposed to neutralize the occupation’s superiority in battle, pointing out that Al-Qassam cannot engage in a conventional battle with the occupation, which entered northern Gaza with 3 military brigades.
He adds that the resistance had to find the right weapon that would enable this neutralization, thus engaging in zero-range combat (130 meters) to offset this advantage.
Days ago, the American newspaper “The New York Times” reported on the Israeli army’s surprise at the length, depth, and quality of the tunnels beneath Gaza. The newspaper’s report indicated that these tunnels represent an underground nightmare and the core of Hamas’s survival capabilities.
According to the report, Hamas has heavily invested in tunnels because it lacks the resources or the number of troops necessary to fight the Israeli army in a conventional war. The group uses them as military bases and arsenals, and relies on them to move its forces undetected and to protect its senior leaders.
