“Nobody Really Knows What’s Underground,” Gaza Metro May Be Concealing To Keep Hamas Safe
Gaza Metro, a network beneath the city, is being discussed as Israel on Friday, the sixth day of the continuing conflict with Hamas, signalled its intention to launch a full-scale attack into Gaza to expel Hamas fighters. Experts say it is a difficulty for the Israeli military since a ground incursion into Gaza would compel the Israeli military to enter the maze that Hamas has set up. Although escaping the maze could be challenging, doing so would result in several losses on both sides.
The Gaza Metro is what?
Israel refers to this network as the Gaza Metro. According to a source, it is located beneath a region that is barely 41 km long and 10 km wide. However, due to its labyrinths, the secret tunnel is longer than 41 kilometers. The Israeli Defense Forces asserted that airstrikes in 2021 resulted in the destruction of more than 100 kilometres of tunnels. The network, according to Hamas, spans more than 500 miles. A Palestinian historian named Harel Chorev claimed that no one genuinely knows what is underground.
There are two layers: one for people and one for Hamas.
An IDF spokesperson described the Gaza Strip as having two layers: one for civilians and the other for Hamas. In the layer where Hamas operates, there are bunkers and covert hiding places.
How the Gaza Metro was built
Before Hamas assumed control, the building reportedly started in 2005. They were created with the intention of smuggling commodities to get under the Israeli embargo. They eventually became a functional network that connected the towns of Khan Younis, Jabalia, and the Shati refugee camp. According to a report, some tunnels go into Israel.
Thousands of tunnels were built underground so that Hamas officials could stay there for extended periods of time, despite images reveal that some of them aren’t big enough for a person to stand upright.
“The tunnels inside Gaza are believed to be as much as 30m (100ft) below the surface and have entrances located on the bottom floors of houses, mosques, schools and other public buildings to allow militants to evade detection,” according to the article.
