Israel’s innovative solution in war against Hamas: ’Sponge bombs’ to seal off gaps in Gaza tunnels. Explained

Israel-Gaza war news: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will use ‘sponge bombs’ as Israel begins its fight through a network of Hamas tunnels under Gaza, Telegraph has reported. For the second day in a row, Israeli forces have mounted an incursion deeper into Gaza, amid incessant bombing. This comes on the 21st day of war between Israel and Hamas that began on 7 October.

The ‘sponge bombs’ that Israel plans to use for the tunnel war, are not explosives, but chemical bombs that would be used to seal off gaps.

According to Telegraph report, the ‘sponge bombs’ create a sudden explosion of foam that rapidly expands and then hardens. However, there has been no official confirmation from Israel on ‘sponge bombs’.

The army has set up a mock tunnel system at the Tze’Elim army base near the border with Gaza. The IDF is likely to face a bloodier battle when it infiltrates Gaza on ground.

Tens of thousands of Hamas gunmen are thought to be lying in wait, most of them in the group’s sprawling tunnel networks, NYT reports. There has been growing concern in Israel that its troops, despite their technical superiority over Hamas’s armed wing, will become locked in a bloody urban war after they invade.

What are ‘sponge bombs’?

‘Sponge bombs’ contain two liquids in a large plastic bag separated by a metal pole. The pole is extracted before the ‘bomb’ is thrown into its target causing the compounds to mix. The liquid turns into foam which expands and hardens to seal gaps

The ‘sponge bomb’ would prevent soldiers being ambushed as they move further into the network, sealing off gaps through which Hamas could attack.

The IDF was seen deploying these devices during exercises in a mock tunnel system near the Gaza border in 2021.

There are potential complications with the underground arsenal. The ‘sponge bomb’ - a liquid emulsion - is hazardous to work with, and some Israeli soldiers have lost their sight through mishandling the mixture.

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How Israel will handle Gaza tunnel war against Hamas?

According to Telegraph report, specialised teams in the IDF’s engineering corps have been grouped into tunnel reconnaissance units and equipped with ground and aerial sensors, ground penetrating radar, and special drilling systems to locate tunnels.

Israeli troops will rely on thermal technology to see in the total darkness of the tunnels, with natural light blocked out due to ‘sponge bombs’.

Novel radios, optimised for working in the extreme conditions experienced underground, have also been developed, Telegraph report adds.

Israel may also use robots and drones to help when navigating the tunnels.

Micro-drones for reconnaissance, capable of being held in the palm of a hand, may also be used but will is likely to suffer as the radio signal weakens.

What is the Gaza tunnel or Gaza metro?

According to reports, Hamas started digging tunnels in the mid-1990s. Tunneling became easier in 2005 when Israel pulled its soldiers and settlers out of Gaza, and when Hamas won power in the 2006 election.

Hamas reportedly has different kinds of tunnels -- hundreds of kilometres long and up to 80 metres deep -- running beneath the sandy 360-sq-km coastal strip and its borders.

Israeli troops are likely to face a bloody urban battle through the tunnels known as the 'Gaza Metro' when they launch their imminent ground offensive.