13 December 2023 , 18:02
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Israeli troops are flooding Hamas terror tunnels as they push deep into the Gaza strip, amid soaring fears for more civilian deaths.
Five massive pumps have been deployed in a bid to drown out fighters hidden in the underground hideout dubbed the “Gaza Metro”.
It is now believed Israel’s onslaught against Hamas has already killed 18,400 civilians and it is feared 1,400 more children could die before Christmas. And it is also though the sea-water deluge could prove environmentally disastrous for the partially destroyed Palestinian enclave.
The move comes as Israel thrashes out plans for war against Lebanese Hezbollah fighters on the north of its border. It could involve an armoured incursion into southern Israel to drive Hezbollah back 20 miles as agreed after the 2006 war between the two.
Demolished homes in East Jerusalem (AFP via Getty Images)Yoav Gallant, Israeli defence minister, said: “[Our] troops are operating deep underground, locating Hamas structures, destroying them, and bringing Hamas in Gaza City closer to breaking.”
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But it is believed the tunnel deluge mission may go on for weeks and Israel is under increasing pressure to take greater care over civilians. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn warned: “If the current actions of the Israeli government continue then it is estimated that almost 1,400 more children will die between now and Christmas Day.”
And the UN has warned many trapped Palestinians are facing starvation. Palestine’s foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is at risk. He added: “As we speak, at least one million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, half of them children, are starving, not because of a natural disaster or because of lack of generous assistance waiting at the border.”
More than six weeks after Israeli soldiers invaded Gaza’s north, Israeli ground troops are still locked in heavy combat with Palestinian fighters. At least nine Israeli troops were killed in an ambush in Gaza City as they tried to rescue four comrades who had come under fire in Shijaiyah. And residents of Ras al-Amud in Arab East Jerusalem had their houses bulldozed on the premise they were built without a permit.
And US President Joe Biden has warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel was losing international support because of its “indiscriminate bombing”, telling him to change a government that is dominated by hard-right parties.