Extensive Hamas Tunnel Network Points to Israeli Intelligence Failure

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“Without a doubt, the full extent of the tunnels was not discovered until the ground operation began” in early July, said Jonathan Schanzer, vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The number, the complexity, and the sophistication of the tunnel network took Israeli forces by surprise, Schanzer said.

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Schanzer said that the March discovery alerted Israeli security officials about “the beginning of a trend,” in which Hamas fighters would come to rely on the tunnels to launch ground strikes on Israeli villages and military positions. Schanzer said that he spoke to senior Israeli officials in early July, before the ground assault began, and they were worried that there were more tunnels than had previously been counted. But again, the government launched no comprehensive plan to counter the tunnel threat.

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