IDF cmdr. shares how Israel dismantles Hezbollah's 'crazy, Iranian' tunnels

Key Points:

• Since October 7, 2023, the IDF's S-2 special engineering platoon has shifted focus from disposing explosives to locating, mapping, and destroying strategic tunnels in Gaza and southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure.
• The platoon faces complex challenges such as removing massive blast doors, clearing tunnels filled with debris and hazards, and transporting hundreds of tons of explosives deep into enemy territory under constant threat from drones and anti-tank weapons.
• Hezbollah’s tunnel network is extensive and multifaceted, serving as command centers, weapons storage, drone assembly workshops, and launch points for attacks, with tunnels designed for prolonged underground stays including beds, food, and electrical infrastructure.
• The tunnels are fragmented rather than continuous, with Hezbollah adapting and repurposing them in real time to evade Israeli strikes, but the IDF believes they are close to delivering a significant blow to Hezbollah’s underground capabilities.
• Locating tunnels involves painstaking intelligence work combining drone surveillance, ground reconnaissance, and cross-referencing multiple data points, with the S-2 platoon now serving as a leading force in Israel’s subterranean warfare efforts.