PNN – An Israeli military analyst pointed out the difficult challenge facing the Israeli army in dealing with Palestinian resistance tunnels in the Gaza Strip.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing Shahab News Agency, Avi Ashkenazi, a military analyst for the Israeli regime, described the regime’s army’s activities against Hamas tunnels as like emptying the sea with a spoon, and the war in Gaza as a complex challenge for the army.
He told the Zionist media outlet “Ma’ariv”: Tens of thousands of tunnels have not been identified in Gaza, wherever you step, there is a tunnel. Contrary to initial estimates, Hamas still maintains its fighting capacity and has many forces. Hamas in Rafah and other areas transferred hundreds, perhaps more, fighters to the Al-Mawasi area through tunnels.
The Zionist analyst added: The reality is that the war is currently very complicated for the Israeli army, and the army is facing an organization that is waging guerrilla warfare and cannot act indiscriminately for fear of harming Israeli prisoners.
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He continued: Hamas also knows this and exploits it to the best of its ability. Hamas fighters come out of the tunnels, open fire and leave, and this is repeated many times a day. This requires vigilance from the army forces, but the question is, can they be alert and awake all the time?
Ashkenazi added: The Israeli cabinet says that the current operation in Gaza is aimed at pressuring Hamas to return the 59 prisoners, and this means that destroying Hamas is not on the agenda.
He acknowledged: The Israeli army is facing many problems, including the depletion of its forces. The army has a heavy burden on its shoulders. Even if it wants to send large forces into the campaign, this option is dangerous, because it will both cause Palestinian fighters to attack the forces more intensely and endanger the lives of prisoners.
Earlier, the Israeli Army Radio reported, referring to the reluctance of the Israeli army’s reserve forces to be present on the battlefield in the Gaza Strip and the shortage of these forces: The only reserve brigade currently present in the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip is Brigade 205. Due to the difficulties, only 60 percent of the brigade’s troops are on duty. The delay in the large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip is due to the small number of reserve forces for military duty.
The Israeli television channel “Kan” also recently announced that the regime’s army is facing a shortage of personnel.