The United Nations is urging Israel not to flood Hamas tunnels with seawater due to concerns it could harm civilians in the short and long term.

Israel has begun testing the viability of flooding the vast underground tunnel structure, a move designed to drive Hamas militants above ground, according to the Wall Street Journal. It's unclear whether Israel will decide to use the seawater plot throughout the strip, though Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said last week that flooding the tunnels was "a good idea."

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"Israel's flooding of tunnels with saltwater could have severe adverse human rights impacts, some long term," the U.N. Human Rights Office said. "Goods indispensable to civilian survival could also be at risk, as well as widespread, long-term, and severe environmental damage. Civilians must be protected."

Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan said the terrorists' tunnels were designed to withstand flooding during a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, on Thursday.

"The tunnels were built by well-trained and educated engineers who considered all possible attacks from the occupation, including pumping water," he said, adding that they "are an integral part of the resistance, and all consequences and expected attacks have been taken into account."

Clive Lipchin, director of the Center for Transboundary Water Management at the Arava Institute, warned there is concern that the seawater could contaminate the groundwater and hinder future agriculture.

"If we flood the tunnels with seawater, the question is to what degree that seawater will infiltrate into the groundwater," Lipchin told the Jerusalem Post. "The concern is that the seawater would mix with the groundwater and increase the salinity of the groundwater."

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In 2021, Hamas claimed to have built more than 300 miles of tunnels underneath cities, hospitals, and schools in Gaza over more than a decade. The tunnels, where it is believed the hostages are being held, pose a significant threat to Israeli ground forces. Some of the more sophisticated tunnels contain electricity and communication lines and are tall enough for an average-sized person to walk through.

"As a military strategy, flooding the tunnels makes sense as one of the ways to deal with the issue. From a military standpoint, it works," Lipchin acknowledged, adding, "There are always other issues to consider beyond the military strategy."