Tunnels are surging back onto the modern battlefield.
Although trenches were employed during the American Revolutionary War and the U.S. Civil War, World War I remains the first large-scale trench war. While such systems provided some defense against machine guns and artillery, they resulted in catastrophic casualties.
In stark contrast, the October 7 Israeli-Hamas conflict is likely to be remembered as the first modern tunnel war. This asymmetric engagement saw Hamas—despite being under-equipped and poorly organized—adopt a strategy of concealment underground, launching sporadic guerrilla attacks.
While drones have us looking up, we must not forget to look down.
Hamas’ tunnel network slowed Israel’s counteroffensive but ultimately failed. Does this mean an end to tunnel warfare as a major strategic concept?
