The terrorist group Hamas has executed dozens of workers responsible for its tunnel system in the past few weeks, according to a report in the Israeli news site Mako (Hebrew link), and expanded upon by the Times of Israel.

The tunnelers, many of whom constructed the tunnels over the course of months, would dig for 8-12 hours a day, and received a monthly wage of $150-$300, according to the blog.

Sources in Gaza told the website that Hamas took a series of precautions to prevent information from reaching Israel. The terror organization would reportedly blindfold the excavators en route to the sites and back, to prevent them from recognizing the locations. The tunnels were strictly supervised by Hamas members, and civilians were kept far from the sites. …

After the tunnels were completed, dozens were reportedly executed to prevent intelligence leaks to Israel.

A 2012 report from the Institute for Palestine Studies noted that Hamas admitted that 160 children were killed in the tunnels. The report explained that children were often used to build the tunnels because “much as in Victorian coal mines, they are prized for their nimble bodies.”

It is unclear whether any of the workers Hamas executed in recent weeks were also children.

[Photo: CBS This Morning / YouTube]