Ex-Hamas chief claims Israel planning to flood Gaza tunnels with nerve gas

Former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal has claimed that Israel is planning to flood Hamas tunnels with a type of nerve gas or chemical weapon.

Speaking to Egypt's Sada El Balad TV channel on Thursday, Meshaal also claimed that the US had told Israel to delay its looming ground invasion and continue pummelling Gaza from the sky and that Washington had deployed soldiers from its elite Delta Force to help in securing the release of hostages.

"We have information from trusted sources that the [US's] plan with Israel is to send special American/Israeli forces, administered by the US and executed either by Israel or combined [US and Israel] to... use nerve gases, aiming to paralyse the capabilities of Palestinian soldiers in the tunnels and trenches without killing him so they do not kill the hostages or captives held in these tunnels," he said.

Middle East Eye reported on Wednesday that Palestinian groups expected Israel to flood Hamas's tunnels with a type of nerve gas or chemical weapon under the surveillance of US Delta Force commandos.

Read more: Former Hamas chief claims Israel planning to flood Gaza tunnels with nerve gas