Gaza Civil Defense Says 5 Killed in Israeli Strike on Displacement Camp

12 May 2024, Palestinian Territories, Deir al-Balah: Tents for displaced people are crowded west of Deir al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip after thousands of Palestinians fled Rafah after the Israeli army announced the start of a military operation there. Photo: Saher Alghorra/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
12 May 2024, Palestinian Territories, Deir al-Balah: Tents for displaced people are crowded west of Deir al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip after thousands of Palestinians fled Rafah after the Israeli army announced the start of a military operation there. Photo: Saher Alghorra/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Gaza Civil Defense Says 5 Killed in Israeli Strike on Displacement Camp

12 May 2024, Palestinian Territories, Deir al-Balah: Tents for displaced people are crowded west of Deir al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip after thousands of Palestinians fled Rafah after the Israeli army announced the start of a military operation there. Photo: Saher Alghorra/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
12 May 2024, Palestinian Territories, Deir al-Balah: Tents for displaced people are crowded west of Deir al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip after thousands of Palestinians fled Rafah after the Israeli army announced the start of a military operation there. Photo: Saher Alghorra/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

The civil defense agency in Hamas-run Gaza said an Israeli strike Sunday hit tents at a declared safe zone in the Palestinian territory's south, killing at least five people.

A witness told AFP a newborn was among the dead in Al-Mawasi near Khan Yunis city, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge from the war, now nearing its 11th month.

Since Monday, Israeli forces have operated in and around Khan Yunis including in parts of the coastal area of Al-Mawasi.

"Today, the Israeli occupation targeted... the tents of displaced people on Al-Istable street in Al-Mawasi," Muhammad al-Mughayyir of the Gaza civil defense agency told AFP.

"Five martyrs and seven wounded have been transferred to Nasser hospital" in Khan Yunis, he said.

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was looking into the reports.

Miriam al-Astal who lives in Al-Mawasi said a newborn baby was killed.

"We were sitting in the tents... when suddenly we heard an explosion," she told AFP.

"I swear" there was no militant activity in the area, she said.

Israel had warned on Monday its forces would "forcefully operate" in the Khan Yunis area -- from which troops withdrew in April -- and on Saturday the civil defense agency said that 170 people have been killed by the renewed fighting and military operations.

 



Lebanon’s Rocky Terrain Makes Tunnel Digging Easy for Hezbollah

Entrance to a border tunnel destroyed by the Israeli army at the Lebanon border in 2019 (AFP)
Entrance to a border tunnel destroyed by the Israeli army at the Lebanon border in 2019 (AFP)
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Lebanon’s Rocky Terrain Makes Tunnel Digging Easy for Hezbollah

Entrance to a border tunnel destroyed by the Israeli army at the Lebanon border in 2019 (AFP)
Entrance to a border tunnel destroyed by the Israeli army at the Lebanon border in 2019 (AFP)

Hezbollah is using Lebanon’s rocky landscape to dig tunnels in mountains and valleys, aiming to hide from Israeli airstrikes and launch attacks from what are considered safe areas.

Due to limited details on how these tunnels are built or their specific purposes, experts believe Hezbollah uses this method as an alternative to open combat under Israeli aircraft.

Retired Brig. Gen. Fadi Daoud told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah’s tunnel strategy forces Israel into difficult underground warfare, a challenging type of combat in military terms.

Daoud explained that tunnel networks “take away key advantages from the enemy.”

“Even though the Israeli military has a powerful air force for reconnaissance and airstrikes, tunnels prevent them from seeing targets. This has reduced the effectiveness of the air force and limits its ability to maneuver,” said Daoud.

He also noted that the Israeli military is prepared for tunnel warfare, with weapons like the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, sponge bombs, and Bunker Buster bombs, which can destroy tunnels up to 60 meters deep. However, using these weapons depends on the situation.

Regarding Hezbollah’s tunnel network, Daoud mentioned that while there isn’t exact information, it is believed that the area from the border to seven kilometers inside Lebanon is likely covered by an underground tunnel system.

This is why Israel wants Hezbollah pushed beyond the Litani River, as it thinks there are no tunnels beyond that point. However, Daoud emphasized that these are only estimates, and no one has confirmed information.

Israeli studies suggest that Hezbollah has built a complex underground tunnel network in Lebanon, stretching for several kilometers.

These reports highlight how Hezbollah benefits from Lebanon’s natural landscape, which makes tunneling easier. Modern tunneling equipment is expensive and not widely available, even to the Lebanese government, with some tunnels taking years to complete.

Dr. Tony Nemer, a geology and seismology expert at the American University of Beirut, explained that Lebanon's rocks are mainly limestone.

When exposed to water containing carbon dioxide, the rocks form carbonic acid, which can hollow out the limestone. This natural process has led to the formation of many caves in Lebanon.

Nemer pointed out that the karstic nature of these rocks makes digging tunnels easier.

He noted that while most of Lebanon’s rocks are limestone, there are also some sandy and volcanic rocks, but these make up only 15%-20% of the country’s terrain.