U.S. and Israeli officials have difficulty assessing the level of destruction of the tunnels, in part because they can’t say for certain how many miles of tunnels exist. Israel is “thoroughly and gradually dismantling the tunnel network,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. The first pumps installed within Gaza used water from the Mediterranean Sea, while the latest pump draws water from Israel, the official said. Seawater has corroded some of the tunnels, but the overall effort wasn’t as effective as Israeli officials had hoped, U.S. officials said. Some of the hostages are allegedly being held in a command center in a tunnel under Khan Younis, Israeli officials said.

Source: Wall Street Journal January 28, 2024 14:26 UTC