Under the feet of the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, a labyrinth of galleries has gradually been dug over the space of forty years. Originally only located on the border with Egypt, these tunnels then multiplied according to geopolitical changes in the region. The takeover of power by Hamas in the enclave in 2007 and the strict blockade imposed by Israel with the support of Egypt which resulted contributed to their development and the diversification of their uses.
As of the 2010s, Gaza’s tunnels are no longer just intended for smuggling. Hamas sees this as a strategic interest and will largely finance military tunnels which make it possible to carry out attacks on Israeli territory without being detected. The destruction of these tunnels becomes an objective of the Israeli army. On January 30, 2024, IDF officers admitted that they were trying to flood these tunnels with seawater, in an attempt to dislodge Hamas.
In this video, we look back at the history of the tunnels in the Gaza Strip and the reasons that led to their massive development. To find out more about their current uses, we refer you to the report by one of our special correspondents in the region.
“Understand in three minutes”
The explanatory videos that make up the “Understand in three minutes” series are produced by the Vertical Videos department of the World. Broadcast primarily on platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, they aim to put major events into context in a short format and make the news accessible to everyone.
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