In January 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they began flooding Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip with seawater as part of an operation called Operation Atlantis. The tunnels are over 300 miles long and were built by Hamas in the 25-mile-long Gaza Strip.
The IDF has developed and is using a computer controlled system to flush the Hamas terrorists from the tunnels without damaging the underground water which is needed for farming.
The flooding system can fill an Olympic sized pool in 7 minutes. This would be enough to flood 400-800 meters of tunnel in 7 minutes. This would take an hour to handle 3-5 miles of tunnel and 75-100 miles of ordinary tunnel in a day.
The system would be taking salt water from the Mediterranean Sea. Preventing damage to the underground water may have required some level of desalination.
In general, water with less than 450 milligrams per liter of total dissolved solids, or an electrical conductivity of less than 0.7 decisiemens per meter, can be used for most plants without harming them.
Sodium levels in drinking water should not exceed 20 milligrams per liter (mg/L) for people on very low sodium diets and 270 mg/L for people on moderately restricted sodium diets.
The EPA also recommends that sodium concentrations in drinking water not exceed 30 to 60 mg/L to avoid adverse effects on taste.
There has been research on far faster desalination with new membranes.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
This has the same feel to it as old time publications gushing about how something was transistorized. OF COURSE it’s computerized. How did you expect it to be controlled, by relay based ladder logic? (I feel so old having actually done that sort of thing.)
the video and other sources of info imply that precision control enables less collateral damage. This control and other secret aspects of the system prevent groundwater getting overly salt damaged. The video talks about a future water from the sea system being useful for irrigation.
I remember reading an article back in October that Gaza ground water is already contaminated and they were already dependent on Israel for drinking water.
So not sure there’s much reason to worry about it.
The stated goal is to flood Hamas. Don’t worry it won’t ruin the drinking water, pinky swear it won’t:
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-778060#google_vignette
The western press coverage of this war has been one sided:
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/2/2/western-coverage-of-gaza-a-textbook-case-of-colonisers-journalism
Makes sense. Can’t kill the terrorists if the drinking water might get harmed. It’s the classic potable-water-beats-out-all-other-considerations gambit.
Also, you quoted an article of one sided coverage on the conflict from Al Jazeera, a notedly Arab source, that contains but one example of reporting that occurred before this war even began. I guess if you don’t agree with the news, then coverage is ‘one sided’.
I thought they wanted to rescue the hostages not drown them.
Over time the Israeli standard response has adapted, they now go in as fast as possible regardless of means & outcome as the longer they wait, the more Hamas abuses & kills hostages.
Since you like so much to recite Articles from Other sources, Why don’t you recite fully? They also inform that The Success is partial end In some tunnels the water are blocked from entering.