Israel considers 'flooding Gaza tunnels' with seawater

Israel is considering a plan to flood a network of tunnels used by Hamas in the Gaza Strip with seawater, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, citing a US official. 

In November, Israel reportedly finished assembling at least five large seawater pumps a mile north of northern Gaza's al-Shati refugee camp.

The pumps can draw water from the Mediterranean Sea and move thousands of cubic metres per hour, giving it the ability to flood the tunnel network within weeks, the report stated. 

A US official told the Wall Street Journal that Israel had informed Washington of the plans last month, to which the reaction was "mixed". 

Officials said that Washington weighed the feasibility of flooding the tunnels, the environmental impact, and the military value of disabling the network.

Read more: Israel considers 'flooding Gaza tunnels' with seawater