'Israel' after donations to equip 'elite' anti-tunnels unit in Gaza
4 Min Read
The elite Yahalom unit is requesting assistance in acquiring several advanced hardware to help the operations against Resistance tunnels in Gaza.
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Israeli occupation soldiers stand on a tunnel near the "Erez" border crossing in Gaza's envelope allegedly used by the Resistance in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7. The picture was released on December 15, 2023 (AFP)
"Help Yahalom Fight Hamas in Their Tunnels," The Times of Israel headlined a report published on Sunday, linking a donation destination to the Yahalom Foundation.
"Israel turns to the Yahalom .. unit, an elite force of commandos. And Yahalom turns to YOU," it continued.
Over 70 days into the ongoing war on Gaza, the Israeli occupation army is yet to achieve any of its declared military objectives, on top of which is the "eradication of Hamas" and "destroying its infrastructures," mainly represented by its tunnel network, despite the significant recorded losses its forces are incurring on the battlefield against the Resistance.
For weeks, top US military and security officials have warned that going for Resistance tunnels is not an easy task or even achievable. This sentiment was shared even by prominent Israeli army figures, many of whom had long years of combat experience, especially when it comes to besieged Gaza. Their criticism was proven correct, as, so far, the occupation army has admitted it was unable to effectively damage the tunnels' infrastructure.
Read more: 'Israel' begins pumping seawater into Gaza's soil to 'flood tunnels'
Given the exhausting nature of the mission, the occupation entity is pouring much-needed massive resources, both financially and in terms of manpower, to try and present to its frustrated internal front and global state supporters that it is on track to reach the goal of ending the "tunnels threat".
Fighting toward this objective is the Israeli Yahalom unit, part of the IOF's Combat Engineering Corps; an elite force specialized and highly trained in engaging in underground warfare - combat inside tunnels.
Yahalom has taken a central role in the invasion of Gaza, leading specialized operations "to locate, secure with explosives, and neutralize Hamas tunnels," according to the newspaper.
Read more: IOF didn't find any Hamas tunnels under Al-Shifa Hospital: CNN
To join this unit, personnel are required to undergo an intensive 16-month training program, encompassing a wide range of combat skills. However, despite its importance, especially in the very difficult war the occupation is currently engaged in, there seems to be a need to collect donations for the force. As per the news site, the requested assistance includes: "Bomb dismantling robots, rescue drones, night vision gear, subterranean radio equipment, and drilling equipment."
While it was established in 1995, the unit was reformed following the war on Gaza in 2014, after the Resistance carried out over 9 significant operations using tunnels, sending fighters behind enemy lines in the Strip's envelope to kill Israeli soldiers and potentially capture them. Several operations were successful, where Israelis admitted to the killing of over 10 soldiers in total.
A little too late?
The Israeli occupation military published on Sunday footage showing Security Minister Yoav Gallant touring a tunnel, which was later revealed to be located in the northern Gaza Strip, and taking pictures at its entrance, in an apparent bid to celebrate a "military accomplishment".
The tunnel is right off the "Erez" military site in an area that was cordoned off by the IOF in the early days of the aggression and even before it announced its ground invasion of Gaza.
In response to the propaganda campaign, Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades released a video on Monday explaining that the tunnel was dug up solely to carry out Operation Al-Aqas Flood, indicating that its main purpose was achieved on October 7 and that it had an "offensive nature" unstable for any other task - including defense operations.
In the publication, al-Qassam wrote addressing the IOF: "You arrive late... mission had already been completed," the video said in Arabic, Hebrew, and English.
كتائب القسام تنشر مقطع فيديو عبر حسابها الرسمي بعنوان:
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) December 18, 2023
"وصلتم متأخرين.. المهمة أُنجزت.."#طوفان_الأقصى #غزة#فلسطين_المحتلة pic.twitter.com/Jj4UJGFsKB
