Description:

Since 2007, Hamas has built over 1,300 tunnels in Gaza, some reaching depths of 30-40 meters, to protect their elements and conceal rocket batteries. Following the latest attack by Hamas, Israel is now focusing on dismantling Gaza's expansive tunnel network before initiating a ground operation.​ 

하마스는 2007년부터 가자지구에 1,300개가 넘는 터널을 건설하여, 그 중 일부 터널의 깊이는 30-40미터에 달합니다. 최근 하마스의 공격이 있은 후, 이스라엘은 지상작전을 개시하기 전, 가자지구의 확장된 터널망을 해체하는데 주력하고 있습니다.

Transcription:

In the aftermath of a globally impactful attack by Hamas, Israel is prioritizing the destruction of the extensive Hamas tunnel network in Gaza before launching a ground operation.

Since 2007, Hamas has constructed over 1,300 tunnels.

Some of these are buried as deep as 30 to 40 meters to shield militants from attacks and feature hidden rocket batteries near the surface.

These tunnels act as storage for weapons, operational bunkers, command hubs, and secret transit routes for militants and their weaponry, which includes rocket launchers. Additionally, some tunnels strategically connect Gaza to nearby Israeli communities, providing terrorists with a means to infiltrate, abduct, and launch attacks on Israeli civilians.

In the past, Israel has attempted to eliminate some of these tunnels using other methods, such as combat engineering and the construction of an underground border wall stretching several meters to deter tunnel assaults. However, unverified accounts suggest that Israel began deploying the bunker-buster munition known as the GBU-28 against these tunnels during the Gaza War of 2008–2009 and continued to do so thereafter.

Bunker-buster bombs, like the Guided Bomb Unit-28 or GBU-28, operate on straightforward physics principles.

They consist of an exceptionally sturdy, narrow tube that is also incredibly heavy. When released from an aircraft, the tube gains significant speed and consequently, kinetic energy as it descends.

In essence, this bomb measures in diameter in length.

The device is guided by an operator who illuminates a target with a laser designator, and the munition then navigates toward the laser energy reflected from the target.

The bomb also has which detonates the bomb once it has penetrated deeply enough to destroy the target.

The GBU-28 bomb is capable of penetrating Needless to say, it has a devastating effect on both Hamas’ tunnel network and any area near the point of impact.

It is also known that Israel requested the GBU-72 bomb, which replaces the GBU-28, from the United States in 2021.

Despite the absence of official reports confirming Israel's acquisition of this weapon system, the likelihood of its use in this air campaign remains significantly high and cannot be easily dismissed.

The GBU-72 was developed to overcome hardened, deeply buried target challenges. This bomb is fitted with a more durable and efficient smart electronic fuse that can activate at a preprogrammed location.

Reportedly exhibiting superior performance compared to the GBU-28, the GBU-72 not only obliterates nearby objects but also generates a shockwave capable of inducing cave-ins in subterranean structures even farther from the intended target.​

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하마스의 전 세계적으로 영향력이 큰 공격의 여파로 이스라엘은 지상 작전을 시작하기에 앞서 가자지구의 광범위한 하마스 터널망을 파괴하는 데 우선순위를 두고 있습니다.

GBU-28에 비해 성능이 우수한 것으로 알려진 GBU-72는 주변 물체를 없앨 뿐만 아니라 목표물에서 훨씬 더 멀리 떨어진 지하 구조물에 동굴 침입을 유도할 수 있는 충격파를 발생시킵니다.

Questions:

1. What is the significance of the Hamas tunnel network in Gaza?

2. What methods has Israel employed in the past to eliminate these tunnels?

3. What is the GBU-72 bomb, and why is its potential use by Israel significant?