If Israelis were to enter the tunnel network in Gaza, it would usher in a new phase in the conflict, significantly levelling the playing field between the opponents, according to Philip Ingram, MBE, a former British military intelligence officer, Al Jazeera reports.

From a military point of view, the Israelis would want to “avoid actually having to fight in the tunnel”, he adds.

Given Hamas’ expertise in setting booby traps and ambushes, “each tunnel poses a significant threat” to Israeli troops, Elijah Magnier, a military analyst who has covered the Middle East for more than 30 years, believes.

The “Palestinian resistance appears to have a strategic advantage” when it comes to tunnel warfare he says, referencing the high numbers of Israeli soldiers who die or are injured when searching for entrances to the tunnel network.

Despite this, some believe that a politically embattled Netanyahu may still choose to engage Hamas in the tunnels to fulfil his ambitions of eradicating the group.

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