IDF sources disclosed that the primary objective of Hamas’s Philadelphi Corridor tunnels was not smuggling weapons but launching long-range rockets. This revelation has significant implications for the ongoing debate in Israel about the importance of controlling the corridor.
During a visit to the Egypt-Israel border, IDF sources explained that the tunnels facilitated the firing of long-range rockets, which were stored and launched near the Egyptian border to deter Israeli strikes. The tunnels provided a haven for Hamas rocket teams to launch attacks and then quickly retreat.
The sources highlighted three alternative methods used by Hamas to amass its vast weapons stockpile. The first one was Smuggling through the Rafah crossing, controlled by Egypt, which accounted for the largest portion of weapons. Secondly, the Internal industrial-level weapons development in Gaza. and the last Weapons brought in during Mohamed Morsi’s presidency in Egypt from 2012-2013.
The IDF emphasized that the cross-border tunnel network, though significant, was not the primary means of weapons smuggling. The sources suggested that rebuilding the tunnel network could take Hamas years, making it a less pressing concern in the short term.