11-2-2024 (GAZA) Israeli military forces have uncovered a network of tunnels stretching hundreds of meters, some of which pass beneath the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza, according to military sources. The discovery underscores allegations of Hamas exploiting the primary relief agency for Palestinians.
Army engineers guided journalists from foreign news outlets through the passages, unveiling the tunnels amidst a backdrop of crisis for UNRWA. The agency faces internal investigations and funding freezes by donor countries following Israel’s claims last month that some UNRWA staff were doubling as Hamas operatives.
Palestinian authorities have denounced Israel’s accusations, claiming they are aimed at tarnishing UNRWA’s reputation. UNRWA, which employs 13,000 individuals in Gaza and has provided essential aid to the population for years, operates schools, healthcare clinics, and other social services, presenting its activities as purely humanitarian.
The UNRWA headquarters, located in Gaza City, fell within areas overrun by Israeli troops and tanks early in the four-month-long conflict against Hamas. Recent operations in Gaza City led to the discovery of a tunnel shaft near a school operated by the humanitarian agency, according to Israel’s army and Shin Bet security agency.
Documents and weapons found within the UN compound itself provided evidence of Hamas activity, the Israeli authorities stated.
During a closely escorted tour, journalists descended into a concrete-lined tunnel adjacent to a school on the periphery of the UN compound. The 700-meter-long and 18-meter-deep tunnel, equipped with side rooms housing computer servers and industrial battery stacks, served as a central command hub for Hamas intelligence, Israeli officials asserted.
Despite Hamas’s apparent evacuation in the face of Israeli advances, evidence suggested the use of UNRWA premises by the militant group. UNRWA, however, maintained that it vacated the headquarters on October 12, five days after the conflict began, and thus could not confirm the Israeli findings.
Calls for UNRWA’s head to resign intensified following the discovery of the Hamas tunnel under its evacuated Gaza City headquarters. Israel’s Foreign Minister demanded Philippe Lazzarini’s prompt resignation, dismissing claims of unawareness about the tunnel as absurd and calling for an independent investigation.
The discovery adds to mounting tensions surrounding UNRWA’s alleged involvement with Hamas, prompting calls for a thorough review of the agency’s operations and political neutrality. The UN has initiated separate probes into UNRWA, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres defending the agency’s crucial role in providing aid to Gaza. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing UNRWA’s indispensable contribution to Gaza’s humanitarian assistance efforts.
