What do you know about the tunnel network in Gaza? Here are the most important questions about it.

AI-generated illustration of an underground tunnel

General and historical context

Two networks: Smuggling tunnels under the Egypt–Gaza border (Philadelphi Route) and a separate, extensive military tunnel network used by Hamas and other groups, often called the “Gaza Metro.” Wikipedia Wikipedia Wikipedia
Initial purpose (1980s): Tunnels under the Philadelphi Route began as clandestine smuggling passages to move goods and weapons between Sinai and Gaza, subverting border controls and later the blockade. israel_history.en-academic.com Wikipedia
Impact of the 2007 blockade: After Hamas seized Gaza in 2007, the closure by Israel and Egypt transformed smuggling from a small-scale clandestine activity into a large, regulated, taxed “tunnel economy,” expanding capacity and sophistication until Egypt’s crackdown from 2013 onward. Wikipedia CIAO: Columbia International Affairs Online Institute for Palestine Studies
Smuggled goods: Fuel, food, construction materials, consumer products (even cars and prepared foods), and weapons moved through Rafah-area tunnels into Gaza. The Wider Image Wikipedia
Non-material function: Tunnels served as a lifeline that reshaped Gaza’s socioeconomic hierarchy and survival strategies under embargo, becoming a parallel economy and social coping mechanism beyond physical goods. CIAO: Columbia International Affairs Online Springer
Estimated military tunnel length: Roughly 350–450 miles (560–725 km), per Israeli assessments and independent reporting, far exceeding early estimates. The Times of Israel Reuters
Significance vs. Gaza’s area: A 350–450-mile underground network beneath an enclave of about 140 square miles illustrates the extraordinary density and strategic depth of subterranean infrastructure relative to Gaza’s compact geography. The Times of Israel Reuters
Primary builder/user: Hamas (notably its Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades) led construction and operational use, with participation from other Palestinian militant organizations. Wikipedia

Military and strategic function

Nickname: The military tunnel complex is commonly nicknamed the “Gaza Metro.” Wikipedia SBS – Special Broadcasting Service
Core military objectives:

Protection: Shielding leadership, fighters, and weapons from airstrikes.
Mobility: Secure movement, command-and-control, and logistics.
Offense: Enabling infiltration, surprise attacks, and rocket operations.
These functions are consistently described by military institutes and reporting. mwi.westpoint.edu Taylor & Francis Online Reuters

Evasion of aerial surveillance: Subterranean movement and storage deny drones and aircraft line-of-sight detection, complicating ISR coverage and targeting cycles above ground. Taylor & Francis Online mwi.westpoint.edu
Concealed entrances: Entrances are often hidden within private homes, multi-story buildings, sandy dunes, cemeteries, and other urban sites, blending into civilian terrain. Reuters The Times of Israel
Construction and reinforcement: Tunnels feature concrete lining, metal supports, and engineered nodes for storage and operations; reports cite thousands of tons of concrete and metal invested. Jordan Times newsofisrael.com
Integrated utilities: Sophisticated sections include electricity, internal communications, plumbing, and storage compartments to sustain prolonged subterranean operations. Jordan Times The Times of Israel
Rocket operations: Launchers and munition storage have been found in or adjacent to tunnels and concealed sites, enabling covert emplacement and rapid firing cycles while complicating counter-battery efforts. Israel News Reuters
Tactical vs. strategic tunnels:

Tactical: Shallower, shorter routes for local movement, ambushes, and immediate battlefield effects.
Strategic: Deeper, longer corridors supporting command centers, logistics, multi-kilometer movement, and cross-border links.
This typology is described in defense analyses and urban warfare studies. Taylor & Francis Online mwi.westpoint.edu

Comparisons to Viet Cong: Analysts frequently compare Hamas’s tunnel warfare to the Viet Cong’s in Vietnam—subterranean networks enabling ambush, survival, and strategic depth against superior firepower. mwi.westpoint.edu Wikipedia

Counter-tunnel operations and challenges

Specialized IDF unit: Yahalom, the IDF’s special operations engineering unit, leads counter-tunnel missions, with complementary tech labs and units supporting detection and neutralization. Wikipedia את”צ The Jerusalem Post
Detection/mapping challenges: Heterogeneous geology, urban clutter, civilian concealment, and sheer scale (thousands of shafts) complicate geophysical sensing, ISR fusion, and consistent mapping accuracy. mwi.westpoint.edu idfclub.org את”צ
Neutralization methods: Ground assaults, demolitions, flooding/sealing, precision strikes, robotics and drones, and deep excavation have been used or proposed; doctrine evolved post-2014 and again after 2023. The Official Home Page of the United States Army mwi.westpoint.edu Israel Hayom
Urban complexity: Dense civilian infrastructure and embedded tunnel shafts raise risks to noncombatants, hamper maneuver, and make discrimination and collateral mitigation exceptionally hard. INSS mwi.westpoint.edu
Dangers inside tunnels: Booby traps, confined-space combat, low visibility/oxygen, RF-degraded communications, and disorientation create extreme tactical hazards for soldiers in subterranean fights. The Official Home Page of the United States Army kpnews.eu
Sensitive sites complication: Tunnels allegedly under or near hospitals, schools, and UN facilities complicate legality, targeting decisions, and operational risk, intensifying scrutiny and political fallout. The Times of Israel honestreporting.com

Humanitarian and political impact

Hostages: The military tunnel network has been used to transport, hold, and conceal hostages, with documented cells and footage showing captivity underground. Wikipedia The Times of Israel The Times of Israel
Impact on Palestinian civilians: Tunnel construction and combat beneath neighborhoods reportedly endangered civilians, damaged property, and created risks from strikes targeting embedded infrastructure; Egypt’s crackdown also disrupted livelihoods tied to the tunnel economy. Middle East Policy Council INSS
Estimated cost: Assessments range from “tens of millions of dollars” in materials to claims up to “a billion dollars” over years of construction, underscoring massive resource diversion to subterranean infrastructure. newsofisrael.com The Jerusalem Post
Beneficiaries of tunnel economy: Smugglers, Gaza business operators, and Hamas (via taxation and regulation of tunnel commerce) profited during the boom years prior to Egypt’s extensive destruction of tunnels. CIAO: Columbia International Affairs Online Springer
Effect of Egypt’s destruction: Egypt’s demolition of thousands of tunnels sharply curtailed the smuggling economy, reducing Hamas’s revenue base and governance capacity tied to cross-border trade flows. Middle East Eye Worldcrunch
International law context: Allegations of military infrastructure under civilian sites raise IHL concerns (distinction, proportionality, human shielding); debates cite norms on protecting civilians and prohibitions on exploiting civilian objects. ec.militarytimes.com Foundation for Defense of Democracies OHCHR
Long-term challenges: Any future governance or peace arrangement must contend with residual tunnels, detection/closure regimes, security guarantees, reconstruction over compromised ground, and political legitimacy amid contested narratives. INSS ABC News Monash Lens

Sources: The Times of Israel Wikipedia INSS mwi.westpoint.edu The Official Home Page of the United States Army The Times of Israel SBS – Special Broadcasting Service Israel News newsofisrael.com The Jerusalem Post Taylor & Francis Online Reuters CIAO: Columbia International Affairs Online Springer Jordan Times Wikipedia israel_history.en-academic.com Israel Hayom mwi.westpoint.edu Middle East Eye Wikipedia kpnews.eu Ahram Online The Wider Image Worldcrunch mwi.westpoint.edu Middle East Policy Council idfclub.org The Jerusalem Post את”צ The Times of Israel The Times of Israel ec.militarytimes.com Foundation for Defense of Democracies OHCHR The Times of Israel honestreporting.com

Keywords

Gaza tunnels, Gaza Metro, Philadelphi Route, Rafah, smuggling tunnels, subterranean warfare, Yahalom, ISR, urban warfare, human shielding, hostages, tunnel economy, international humanitarian law, detection and neutralization, strategic depth

Links to sources

Palestinian tunnel warfare in the Gaza Strip (overview)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_tunnel_warfare_in_the_Gaza_Strip
Gaza Strip smuggling tunnels (Philadelphi Route)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_Strip_smuggling_tunnels
Times of Israel, tunnel length estimates
https://www.timesofisrael.com/gaza-tunnels-stretch-at-least-350-miles-far-longer-than-past-estimate-report/
Reuters graphics feature on tunnels
https://www.reuters.com/graphics/ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/GAZA-TUNNELS/gkvldmzorvb/
Modern War Institute analyses
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/gazas-underground-hamass-entire-politico-military-strategy-rests-on-its-tunnels/
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/underground-nightmare-hamas-tunnels-and-the-wicked-problem-facing-the-idf/
Yahalom unit background
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahalom_%28IDF%29
INSS strategic implications
https://www.inss.org.il/publication/gaza-tunnels/
Amnesty International report on hostages
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/0282/2025/en/
Times of Israel on tunnels under Shifa
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ny-times-tunnel-under-al-shifa-hospital-used-by-hamas-for-cover-weapons-storage/