The tunnels are a major issue in the strained Hamas-Egyptian relations, with Hamas accused of using them to smuggle gunmen and weapons between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula. When he took office in June 2014, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi decided to carry out a military campaign targeting the tunnels and the lines of communication they offer armed cells. On April 6, Egypt announced a firm plan to destroy them.

Al-Monitor made a recent visit to the border area between Rafah and Sinai and witnessed a series of bombings conducted by the Egyptian army as part of its expansion of the buffer zone.

An Egyptian security official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “Work is underway to complete the buffer zone along the border with Gaza. There is a conviction that no matter how many tunnels are destroyed in Gaza, smugglers and gunmen will rebuild them. A single tunnel is built in Gaza, and then turns into several tunnels inside Egypt, like a spider web that goes through houses and mosques.”

He added, “The tunnels that the Egyptian army is destroying are being rebuilt the next day in a tactical way. Once a tunnel is destroyed, Hamas moves back 10 meters [33 feet] and digs another one.”