An analysis has emerged that North Korea’s tunneling technology may have been passed on to the Palestinian militant group ‘Hamas’ through the Lebanese armed group ‘Hezbollah’.
In an interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA) on the 17th (local time), Sarit Zehabi, the head of the Israeli security group ‘Murmar Research and Education Center’, said, “It is not clear whether Hamas obtained tunnel technology directly from North Korea.” He claimed, “It seems correct that North Korea transferred technology to Hezbollah, and that the technology transferred to Hezbollah ended up in the hands of Hamas.”
Representative Zehabi claimed, “Hezbollah’s tunnel technology is based on North Korean knowledge,” and added, “There is a possibility that the tunnel used in Hamas’ (Israel) attack also indirectly used North Korean technology.”
He went on to explain, “The tunnel excavated by transferring (technology) to Hamas is a strategic tunnel,” and “It can move militants, vehicles, and military supplies from one place to another.”
He predicted, “If you look at the terrain of Israel, some areas are concrete and others are desert,” and added, “The concrete terrain is similar to North Korea, so we would have received (technical) help in this area.”
In a report published on its own in 2021, this organization revealed that North Korea’s ‘Chosun Mining Development and Trading Company’ dispatched six North Korean personnel near the Syrian border to provide excavation methods to Hezbollah’s ‘Jihad Construction Foundation’.
The report also raised the possibility that this tunnel technology delivered to Hezbollah was also transferred to Hamas and used to build the ‘Hamas Metro’ tunnel, which is used by Hamas gunmen to transport strategic materials.
Choi Jae-ho,
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.