The American Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday that Israel is considering a plan to flood the tunnels in the Gaza Strip with water from the Mediterranean, in an attempt to push Hamas fighters out of them.

While the newspaper reported that the Israeli army completed in the middle of last month the installation of large seawater pumps north of the Beach camp in Gaza, it pointed to American concerns conveyed by an unnamed American official regarding water supplies in Gaza.

The newspaper also said that Israeli pumps are capable of pumping thousands of cubic meters of water into the Gaza tunnels every hour, and that they are capable of flooding the tunnels with water within weeks, according to what was reported by the Arab World News Agency.

According to the newspaper, American officials confirm that Israel informed America of the plan early last month and discussions took place about the military feasibility of the plan and its impact on the environment, but officials also say that they do not know how close the Israeli government is to implementing the plan.

The newspaper added that Israel “has not decided on the plan.” It stated that some American officials expressed their concern about the Israeli plan, while others support it and say that there is not necessarily any American opposition to the plan.

The newspaper continued, quoting a source familiar with the Israeli plan, that the process of flooding the tunnels will force Hamas fighters to leave with the Israeli prisoners, but it is not yet clear whether Israel will consider using pumps before releasing all the prisoners.