Israel and its sponge bomb method of blocking tunnels

The Israeli military has devised a way of blocking off some of the multiple tunnels dug by Hamas under Gaza by firing “sponge bombs”, consisting of a chemical compound which forms a rapidly hardening foam. While the Israeli defence forces will need to engage in close combat in the tunnel network, the sponge-bomb foam will seal off the smaller entrances along the way, preventing ambushes by Hamas. Sponge bombs were not designed to destroy tunnels but to reduce the odds for the Israeli soldiers by filling up at least some of them with the hardened foam to ease their path down the so-called Gaza Metro. “The threat of Hamas tunnels will be one of the most significant challenges to contend with,” John Spencer of the Modern War Institute at the US West Point Military Academy, said during a discussion on the issue this month. “Many miles of these tunnels crisscross below the surface of Gaza, some as deep as 230ft underground, and collectively they offer Hamas fighters the means to protect themselves against the Israeli offensive, manoeuvre undetected below the surface and launch attacks before returning to the security of the tunnels,” he said. “Is it feasible to seal them? Can they be destroyed with bunker-buster munitions or other explosives? Are there other ways to render them unusable?” he asked. The sponge-bomb concept is one of the devices expected to be used to seal gaps where Hamas members might be hiding and to help flush them out while attempting to rescue the 200 or so hostages still being held in the tunnel complex that stretches for hundreds of miles. The innovative form of defensive warfare will only play a small part in meeting the threats posed by the layers of tunnels. But IDF soldiers have tried out the sponge-bomb technique at the Tze’Elim army base near the border with Gaza where there is a mock tunnel system for training exercises. The use of sponge bombs is not without risk. The chemical-based foam can be hazardous to work with , and some Israeli soldiers have lost their sight through mishandling during training, The Telegraph reported.