Hamas terrorists in tunnels from Gaza. Photo: Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades web site.

Reports in the Arab press highlighted the intense cooperation between Israel and Egypt in destroying Hamas’ vast network of cross-border tunnels.

According to the Hebrew news site nrg on Monday, an Israeli military official told the Arabic news portal Elaph, that photographs from Israeli drones of the tunnel entrances were being used by the Egyptian army to identify and flood, or otherwise demolish, many underground passageways over the last several weeks.

In an interview with Elaph, IDF Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, said Israel also relayed information to Egypt showing how Hamas was treating wounded members of the Egyptian-based ISIS outfit in Gazan hospitals in exchange for weapons, explosives, goods and money.

The ISIS fighters were being taken to Gaza through the tunnel network along with the arms and cash owed to Hamas for helping them, Mordechai said. The deal is being overseen by the Iz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, which has been recouping its losses from the many tunnels between Sinai and the Gaza Strip already destroyed by the Egyptian army.

Mordechai’s revelation came amid a small controversy caused by Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, who said over the weekend that Egypt was flooding the Gaza tunnels partly at Israel’s request. Israeli officials are wary to publicly address details around the Israeli-Egyptian security relationship, an issue that is deeply politically unpopular in Egypt. Steinitz later said his comments had been misunderstood.

Hamas, meanwhile, has blamed Egypt for helping Israel to enforce a siege against the land and sea borders of the Gaza Strip, which is home to some 1.8 million people.

Watch a video of Egyptian forces destroying Hamas tunnels here: