Israel-Hamas: at the gates of the Negev desert, IDF trains to destroy Gaza tunnels

The humanitarian truce continues in Gaza, so that more hostages can be released. A temporary cessation of fighting during which Israeli soldiers continue their training and prepare for the second phase of the conflict. M16 on the shoulder, soldiers advance cautiously towards a raw concrete building. Objective: to dislodge the terrorists taking refuge in the building.

There are more than 500 buildings like this in this completely reconstructed district of Gaza. Many IDF units are currently training in what they call mini Gaza, on the edge of the Negev desert. Multi-storey buildings, houses, mosques… A necessary passage for soldiers who go to fight in the Palestinian enclave.

Objective: destruction of the Gaza tunnels

“Most of the soldiers who are intervening in Gaza at the moment have trained in this base. It is essential that we train experts who can perfectly intervene in urban areas like this,” specifies Lieutenant-Colonel Mati , who oversees operations.

The officer rushes into a tunnel, a replica of those under Gaza. “The Hamas terrorists have simply built a city under Gaza. They have rooms where they can stay for a long time, for weeks. They also have command rooms from where they can direct ground operations. For us, the The biggest challenge is the location of these tunnels, very close to civil infrastructures: hospitals, schools, mosques,” he explains.

The destruction of this immense network is the priority objective of the IDF, which is training units specializing in underground interventions here. Despite our requests, the Lieutenant-Colonel does not say a word about the methods used to put an end to these tunnels.