(JNS) The Israel Defense Forces has flooded several Hamas tunnels in Gaza with seawater, the military announced on Tuesday, Jan. 30, hailing it as a significant breakthrough.

The IDF, in cooperation with Israel’s Defense Ministry, has developed “new capabilities during the war, with the aim of neutralizing underground terrorist infrastructure, including by channeling large volumes of water into them,” the statement said.

The latter method is only utilized “in locations where it is suitable,” according to the IDF, alleviating concerns raised by the Biden administration and some environmental experts that flooding the tunnels could negatively affect the groundwater quality in the area.

“The IDF takes into consideration the soil and water systems in the area, matching the method of operation to each specific case,” the military noted on Tuesday.