While the Israeli army has already completed its first “successful tests” in flooding parts of the Hamas tunnel system in the Gaza Strip, according to US media, more and more scientists are warning about the long-term negative effects of seawater on the soil and the water. water supplies. Israeli farmers in border regions could also be affected.
The first tests involve pumping seawater into parts of the approximately 500 kilometer long complex to see whether the method is suitable for destroying the tunnel network on a large scale. According to the Times of Israel, the tests “appear to have been successful.” However, Hamas claims to have taken exactly such a tactic into account from the start and designed the tunnels to withstand flooding.
Hostages also in danger?
While the relatives of the Hamas hostages now fear for their loved ones, not only because of the massive bombings but also because of the danger of the floods, South African Clive Lipchin of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies warns of the destruction of Gaza Strip’s “last source of drinking water”. Because when salt water ends up in the aquifers (rock layers with cavities into which groundwater can flow, ed.) near the coast, the groundwater is enriched with salt.
The drinking water supply is already seriously affected
The groundwater in the Gaza Strip has been affected for years, because salt water repeatedly seeps in through pumping systems. According to human rights organization B’Tselem, this makes more than 96 percent of the groundwater near the coast unsuitable for drinking water. The population in the Gaza Strip is therefore dependent on desalination plants and drinking water supplies. As has been reported several times, these were extensively restricted during the course of the war.
Palestinian hydrologist Abdel-Rahman al-Tamimi speaks of even more drastic scenarios. Tamimi told Turkish news agency Anadolu days ago: “The Gaza Strip could remain uninhabitable for a hundred years. Israel is destroying the environment in Gaza.”
Toxins can also be flushed away
An unnamed hydrologist told the Times of Israel that Israeli farmers in the border area could also be affected by the salt water if the areas leading to Israel were also flooded. It also warns that toxic substances could also be flushed from the tunnel systems.
“As a military strategy, tunnel flooding makes perfect sense. But there are always other aspects to take into account,” Lipchin emphasized to the Jerusalem Post.
This strategy is not being applied for the first time. The Egyptian army also resorted to this. In 2015, tunnels used by Hamas as a smuggling route between the border city of Rafah and the Sinai Peninsula were destroyed using seawater.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
