In this episode of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast, John Spencer examines the subterranean war in Gaza. Fresh from Gaza City and drawing on seven trips to Israel since October 7, he explains why Hamas’s tunnel network mattered more than the surface fight and how it reshaped every military task—from movement to command and control.
Spencer surveys the background and evolution of tunnels in Gaza, highlighting what makes them unique among past and contemporary conflicts—layered networks beneath dense urban areas used for human shielding, leadership protection, movement, weapons production, and holding hostages. He details the Israel Defense Forces’ learning curve and adaptations, from pushing special operations forces’ expertise to general purpose units to developing a typology of tunnels, locating and mapping methods, and coordinating maneuver above and below ground.
He also separates what works from what does not, covering the limits of bunker-busting, the failures of flooding attempts, and the use of robotics, dogs, wet cement, and demolition to neutralize tunnels. The episode concludes with insights on what the Gaza experience means for stabilization, reconstruction, and any future force that expects to fight in cities.
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Image credit: Marius Arnesen
