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Great, detailed report.

In eastern Gaza, the IDF is now deploying a new missile, which produces an explosion similar to a mini nuclear blast.
This is an underground explosion to destroy tunnels.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1354793769425870

Lemme guess...gas, dogs, water, drones, and of course IDF super soldiers.

Keep close watch from the surface so not even rats can ever again dig any new tunnels.

Video summary by Perplexity AI:

The Tikvah Podcast episode featuring John Spencer covers Israel’s strategic and tactical response to Hamas’s tunnel network in Gaza, offering expert insights into the scale, purpose, and transformation of subterranean warfare during the recent conflict.

Gaza Tunnel System Overview

Gaza’s tunnels span more than 600 miles (possibly over 1,000 kilometers), exceeding the length of its roads, and are layered beneath civilian infrastructure like schools and hospitals. Unlike historic uses of tunnels, Hamas designed this network not just for defense, but as the centerpiece of its political and military strategy: using civilians above the tunnels as human shields and investing over a billion dollars in their construction.

Strategic and Psychological Dimensions

The tunnels allow Hamas to “equalize” against the IDF’s military superiority by surviving airstrikes, maneuvering undetected, and facilitating guerrilla attacks, resupply, and holding hostages.
Some tunnels are extremely deep (up to 200 feet), and certain leadership tunnels featured luxury amenities.
The psychological demands of tunnel warfare on soldiers are immense, involving claustrophobic, booby-trapped environments where every step is uncertain and the risk of ambush or explosives is constant.

Israeli Adaptation and Countermeasures

The IDF’s elite Yahalom unit specializes in underground engineering and counter-tunnel operations, though the scope of Gaza’s tunnels overwhelmed available resources.
Early IDF operations were hampered by slow progress and booby-trapped entrances, requiring a shift: all infantry and engineering units received rapid training to handle tunnel encounters more independently.
Innovations included deploying dogs, robots, and specialized equipment for underground communication and navigation.

Breakthrough Tactics: The Offensive Advantage

Brigadier General Dan Goldfus of the IDF’s 98th Paratroopers Division analyzed tunnel patterns and shifted tactics, viewing the tunnels as potential Israeli assets rather than obstacles.
Goldfus’s division pioneered simultaneous surface and underground maneuvers, coordinating special forces to infiltrate tunnels while ground troops advanced above—overwhelming Hamas cognitively and operationally.

Political and Tactical Implications

Hamas’s strategy relied on “tunnels and time," aiming to survive long enough to trigger international intervention and political pressure on Israel.
The IDF’s synchronized operations flipped the tunnel system’s strategic value, turning Hamas’s years of investment and preparation into a liability.
These groundbreaking techniques—rapid risk assessment, infiltration before tunnels could be booby-trapped, and top-down coordination—marked a revolutionary evolution in modern tunnel warfare.

Lessons and Aftermath

The challenge remains on what to do with hundreds of miles of tunnels during a ceasefire to prevent Hamas from rebuilding.
The episode concludes with reflections on the uniqueness of Gaza’s tunnel conflict and the psychological heroism required of soldiers confronted by this unprecedented subterranean battlefield.