The Israeli military provided official confirmation Tuesday that it has been pumping "large volumes of water" into suspected Hamas tunnels in Gaza, following weeks of speculation.
Back in December, a US official told CNN that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were "carefully testing" out the method of pumping seawater into tunnels "on a limited basis." The IDF failed to respond to CNN's request for comment at the time.
However, in a statement released Tuesday, the IDF said it has been implementing "new capabilities" to target Hamas infrastructure in the Gaza Strip by "channeling large volumes of water into the tunnels." The IDF said tools like pumps and pipes were being used.
The Israeli military maintained that the water pumping was "only carried out in tunnel routes and locations that were suitable, matching the method of operation to each case."
Some background: When rumblings of the IDF's plans to flood tunnels emerged in December, concerns were raised about the safety of hostages, many of whom are believed to be held underground in Gaza. Experts also highlighted concerns about the potential to contaminate freshwater supply and damage infrastructure at the surface level.
Hamas also downplayed the prospect of Israel's success, stressing that its network of tunnels had been built to withstand water being pumped into them.