Daphne Richemond-Barak, the author of “Underground Warfare,” writes in Foreign Policy magazine: “Never in the history of tunnel warfare has a defender been able to spend months in such confined spaces. The digging itself, the innovative ways Hamas has made use of the tunnels and the group’s survival underground for this long have been unprecedented.”

In this war, Hamas is often underground while the Israelis are aboveground, with Hamas seeking to position civilians directly between them. As Barry Posen, a professor at the security studies program at M.I.T., has written, Hamas’s strategy could be described as ‘human camouflage’ and more ruthlessly as ‘human ammunition.’ Hamas’s goal is to maximize the number of Palestinians who die in order to build international pressure until Israel is forced to end the war before Hamas is wiped out. The group’s survival depends on support in the court of international opinion and on making the conflict as bloody as possible for civilians until Israel relents.

The Israelis have faced challenges in clearing and destroying the tunnels. Israel Defense Forces units clear the ground around a tunnel entrance, then use robots, drones, and dogs to detect explosives and enemy combatants. Units trained in underground warfare then enter the tunnels. Richemond-Barak notes that Israel has found it difficult to detect or map the entirety of Hamas’s tunnel network, but to claim victory, they must destroy at least two-thirds of the known underground infrastructure.

Clearing tunnels is slow, dangerous, and destructive work. Israel has caused significant destruction in Gaza, particularly early in the conflict. Due to the tunnels, Israel has inflicted more damage in Gaza than Syria did in Aleppo and more than Russia did in Mariupol, according to an Associated Press analysis.

John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, who has served in Iraq and visited Gaza during the current conflict, highlighted that Israel has made more effort to protect civilians compared to the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq. Spencer reported that Israel has warned civilians before operations, published online maps showing areas to avoid, sent millions of warnings through pamphlets, texts, and calls, and conducted daily pauses to allow civilians to leave combat zones. These measures have telegraphed the IDF’s movements but have also prolonged the conflict.

In conclusion, the situation in Gaza is complex, with both Hamas and Israel employing strategies to achieve their goals. The underground warfare and civilian protection efforts by Israel have been notable in this conflict, highlighting the challenges and complexities of modern warfare in densely populated areas. The international community must continue to engage with the situation in Gaza to promote a peaceful resolution and ensure the protection of civilians caught in the crossfire.