NEW YORK, September 2. /TASS/. The network of underground tunnels that the radical Palestinian movement Hamsas has created in the Gaza Strip is significantly complicating Israel’s military operations in the enclave, The New York Times reports.

"The fact that Hamas is hiding in tunnels and managing much of the fighting from there prolongs the war," the newspaper writes, citing an Israeli army spokesperson.

Before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, Israeli experts believed that the total length of underground tunnels in Gaza stood at about 400 meters but now, they estimate it at 800 meters. Some tunnels have a depth of over 75 meters, "about the height of a 25-story building," the paper notes.

An Israeli military official pointed out that it could take years to destroy the entire tunnel network. "Israel has publicized videos of the military destroying tunnels with more than 16 tons of explosives per kilometer," The New York Times writes.

According to the newspaper, Hamas installed "blast doors to protect the militia’s tunnel network from airstrikes and ground assaults." The move had been approved by Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Some tunnels also serve as communication hubs, the paper adds.

The tunnel system is an essential element of Hamas’s battle plan, the newspaper notes, adding that the Israeli military was facing a difficult task because in order to achieve the goal of its operation in Gaza, that is, destroying Hamas, it has to fight two wars, "one on the surface and one on the subsurface."

As many as 40,700 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. The majority of those killed are women and children. Another 94,000 people have suffered injuries.