Gaza’s First Tunnels: The Hidden Lifeline of Fedayeen Operations

Long before tunnels became a central feature of confrontation with the Israeli occupation, Palestinian fedayeen in Gaza relied on underground passages and concealed openings among farms to sustain their operations.

These early tunnels formed a vital operational network until 1971. Hidden in Gaza’s agricultural landscape, they were part of a history of underground activity that preceded the tunnel systems associated with later conflicts.

The description of Gaza as “the only free part of Palestine” frames this earlier chapter, when fedayeen operations depended on routes kept out of sight. The tunnels and earthen openings were not merely features of the terrain, but a lifeline for those operating there.

Their role places the origins of Gaza’s underground networks decades before their later prominence on the battlefield. It also shifts attention to the concealed farm passages that helped sustain an earlier phase of Palestinian armed resistance.