Hamas Use of Gaza Strip-based Subterranean Route

Gaza Strip sandy soil enables relatively easy digging of tunnels and thus the use of the subterranean route by local terror organizations, mainly Hamas, is a prominent tool in the employment of terror against Israel.

The use of tunnels in the Gaza Strip began during the Al Aqsa Intifadah - late September 2000 – and continued after the implementation of the Disengagement Plan and the IDF withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in September 2005. The use of tunnels extended following the Gaza takeover by Hamas in June 2007.
During the first years of the Intifadah until the Israeli Gaza Disengagement, terror organizations primarily used offensive tunnels to execute infiltration attacks and IDF posts explosions, in an attempt to attack IDF units deployed in the Gaza Strip.
The main attacks executed via tunnels are:
a. On September 26 2001, IED explosion under Termit post on the Israel-Egypt border resulted in the collapse of the northern part of the post. Three IDF soldiers were injured.
b. On June 27 2004, Explosion of Orhan Post in central Gaza Strip resulted in the collapse of the post. One Israeli soldier was killed and 7 were injured.
c. On December 12 2004, an offensive tunnel exploded under the JVT post close to Rafah Border Crossing. As a result, 5 IDF soldiers were killed and 6 injured.
Following the Disengagement and IDF withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, terror organizations still considered the tunnels as the main tool enabling them to bypass the fence surrounding the Gaza Strip which hinders infiltration into Israel. In June 2006, the most prominent attack of infiltration via tunnels took place close to Kerem Shalom. During the attack the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was kidnapped to the Gaza Strip, 2 soldiers were killed and 4 injured.
The tunnels were used to carry out attacks and also enhanced the military strengthening and build up of all factions, including the improvement and upgrading of high trajectory weapons array (rockets and mortar shells) employed from the Gaza Strip against Israel. For this purpose, terror organizations as well as Hamas needed a regular supply of high explosives to produce rockets and IEDs. Consequently, a Gaza Strip-based industry of tunnels dug under the border of the Gaza Strip-Egypt was established. Since the Disengagement, large amounts of weapons are being smuggled through the tunnels on a yearly basis: thousands of kilos of explosives, standard weapons such as GRAD rockets, which were launched in 2008 against Ashkelon and Netivot, as well as AT rocket launchers, used to attack IDF units in the Gaza Strip surrounding area.
Following June 2007 Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip and the closing of the crossings, the use of the smuggling tunnels was extended for other purposes as well:
a. Hamas gained control of the tunnels' array and used it to smuggle funds into the Gaza Strip. These funds enable the movement to preserve its government;
b. The tunnels were also used to transfer Hamas activists for trainings abroad, particularly, Syria and Iran.
Due to the absence of Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip and hence, fewer thwarting activities - Hamas upgraded its tunnels-related capabilities. Thus, its activists benefit from freedom of movement in all areas and can expand the tunnels' array not only on the Gaza Strip-Egypt border.
Hamas believes that future military confrontation with IDF is bound to happen and thus has begun to prepare for this event. It has adopted southern Lebanon Hizballah model, which in its view, revealed its efficiency during the Second Lebanon War, in July-August 2006.
Yet Hamas does not make do with Hizballah's model and has expanded the use of the subterranean route: it built subterranean launching sites, similar to Hizballah underground storerooms in southern Lebanon, as well as a bunkers system used for shelter, storage of weapons and operations rooms. They have also built an intricate layout of tunnels connecting between posts, positions, mosques, training camps and rocket launching sites. Hamas activists use the relative calm to build and improve this layout.
During recent years IDF and ISA acted against dozens of tunnels on Philadelphi route (Gaza-Sinai route) and a few tunnels on Hoovers route (Gaza Strip-Israel) thereby preventing weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip and mass murder attacks in Israel.
A prominent example is the tunnel exploded by IDF in August 2006; its exit was aimed at Karni Crossing. Upon the completion of the tunnel's digging, the attack planners intended to place there dozens of high explosives that were supposed to explode under IDF administration building in Karni crossing.
In addition, on the night of November 4-5 2008 ISA and IDF carried out a local activity against a tunnel that was due to facilitate a large attack inside Israel.