NEW YORK, January 17. /TASS/. The Israeli military believes the tunnels that Hamas built underneath Gaza could have a total length of 560 to 720 kilometers, a vast network given that the longest distance between territory’s borders is only about 40 kilometers, the New York Times reported, citing sources.

One official told the newspaper it could take years to disable the tunnel system. Before destroying the tunnels, they need to be mapped and checked for hostages. There’s also a risk that the subterranean passageways are booby-trapped. An Israeli soldier told the New York Times he oversaw the destruction of about 50 tunnels in Beit Hanoun and his unit found bombs hidden in walls.

A 2015 report indicated that Hamas had spent more than $3 million on tunnels throughout the Gaza Strip, and many of them were built under civilian infrastructure, the report said.

The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated following an incursion of Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7. Hamas has cast the attack as a response to Israeli actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel has declared a complete siege of the Gaza Strip and started a military operation there. Israel also strikes parts of Lebanon and Syria in retaliation for bombardments originating from these countries. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.