The Jerusalem Post reported:
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said Saturday that Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the flooding of several Hamas tunnels linking Egypt to the Gaza Strip, to a certain extent, “due to Israel’s request.”
The minister affirmed that security cooperation between Israel and Egypt is “better than ever,” and asserted that “flooding is a good solution” for the challenge of tackling Hamas’ intricate tunnel system used for smuggling purposes.
Last year, Egyptian forces began to flood tunnels dug beneath the Gaza-Egypt border in an effort to curb the use of the underground passages used to bring in an estimated 30 percent of all goods that reach Gaza.
Overnight Friday, Egypt flooded 10 tunnels, using pipes to pump water from the Mediterranean Sea and bring about their collapse.
An additional tunnel was exposed Friday, presumed to have been successfully utilized by Hamas to smuggle weaponry, building material, and rocket part components into the Strip.
On Friday, Breitbart Jerusalem reported that Hamas, utilizing critical Iranian funds, has pressed on with completing the restoration of its network of tunnels, including those reaching into Israeli territory, according to a top Hamas diplomatic source.
“The military wing has ensured the preparedness of our tunnels some time ahead of schedule,” the Hamas source said.
Seven Hamas militants were killed last week, and another two on Tuesday, while working to restore tunnels slated to serve as launching pads for attacks on Israel.
In November, Breitbart Jerusalem reported that Hamas was in the process of building a sophisticated network of tunnels beneath the Gaza Strip, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the issue.
The tunnel infrastructure mirrors the network built by Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Iran-sponsored militia is known to have dug a vast underground tunnel complex replete with war rooms, internal communication lines, ventilation systems, and even missile silos.