Israel takes out ‘C’ level of Hamas’s ‘Metro’ tunnel network

The airstrikes on Hamas targets came as rocket sirens continued to blare throughout the night in Ashkelon and Beersheba, with two separate barrages being aimed at each city.

By ANNA AHRONHEIM

MAY 17, 2021 10:11

Third round of IDF strikes against the Hamas ‘Metro’ tunnel system, Monday, May 17, 2021. (Credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Office)

The Israel Air Force struck Hamas’s “Metro” underground tunnel network for the third time overnight on Monday as rockets fired from the Gaza Strip continued to be fired towards southern Israel communities.

Striking 15 kilometers of what it called the “C” line, the attack “was part of a broad operation by the IDF to significantly damage the underground system of terror organizations in Gaza,” the IDF said.

The attack included 54 fighter jets that dropped some 110 precision munitions on 35 targets over 20 minutes.

IAF jets also hit nine residences they claim belonged to high ranking Hamas commanders that were used as terror infrastructure and used to store weapons. The homes that were hit belonged to the Beit Hanoun battalion commander, Beit Hanoun company commander, a company commander in the Sabara battalion in the city of Gaza and a company commander in the Shati battalion.

The IAF also struck military infrastructure used for command and control in the home of a Hamas operative responsible for military intelligence in Shejaiya.

The IDF attack of the home of Hamas head Yayha Sinwar, May 16, 2021. (Credit: IDF Spokesperson”s Unit)

The IDF also destroyed a tunnel in southern Gaza, the entrance to which was built near a kindergarten.

“This once again proves how Hamas purposely builds its military assets in the heart of civilian populations,” the IDF said, adding that the “IDF has taken precautions to ensure minimizing damage to civilian population.”

As the rockets continued to be launched, the IAF also destroyed the homes of Yahya Sinwar and his brother Muhammed, who is in charge of the logistics and manpower of Hamas, “serve as significant terror infrastructure,” the IDF said in a statement.

The IAF also carried out airstrikes against several other homes, as well as the offices of Samah Sarag, Head of Planning and Development of the Hamas Political Bureau, the residence of Youssef Abel-Wahab, commander of the Hamas Zeitoun Battalion in Gaza City, and the residence of Ahmad Abd El Aal, a senior Hamas Military Intelligence official.

Dozens of weapon factories and storage sites in Tzabrah tel Aloha, Sheik Amodan and in Gaza City were struck as well. The military says that those sites were located in the homes of Hamas naval and airborne operatives, anti-tank squads and offensive cyber units.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, 181 people have been killed since the fighting began, including 52 children and 31 women. Another 1200 have been injured.

IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Hidai Zilberman on Sunday deflected criticism of the military’s actions in the Gaza Strip on Sunday and particularly the bombing of the Al Jala building with media offices on Saturday.

“I want to see what would happen if one rocket was fired on Washington. They are firing salvos toward civilian populations,” Zilberman said when asked about the strike on the building that was home to the Associated Press and Al Jazeera offices in Gaza. “We are in the middle of an operation. If Hamas and PIJ think they can hide behind the media, their buildings are not something they can hide behind.”

The IDF said the building held the offices of Hamas’s military intelligence as well as other offices belonging to Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The IDF has refused requests to reveal the evidence upon which it determined that Hamas was using the office building for terrorist activity.

Expecting the fighting to continue for several more days, Zilberman warned the Israeli public to continue to seek shelter when rocket sirens are activated.

According to Zilberman, Hamas spent tens of millions of dollars on constructing this strategic assest.

“Every meter of the tunnel cost around $500 and one kilometer cost half a million dollars,” he said. “You can imagine what else they could have spent the money on.”

Since the beginning of operation “Guardian of the Walls”, approximately 3,150 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory as of 7:00 a.m. on Monday, of which approximately 460 failed launches fell in the Gaza Strip.

The Iron Dome Air Defense System has an intercept rate of approximately 90%.

Zilberman said that the military will continue to strike this system in the coming days, as well as the multi-barreled rocket launchers that are being used by the terror groups to launch salvos towards Israel.

The IDF has hit between 40-45 of these launchers which have between four to nine medium-to-long-range rockets that can be fired every second.

While the IAF has begun to take out these launchers over the past 36hours, the Israeli public won’t see an effect from it for some time, Zilberman said.