Hamas tunnel found under UN agency Gaza headquarters, says Israel
What's the story
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday claimed to have found a Hamas tunnel beneath the Gaza City base of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), per Reuters.
The tunnel was allegedly a valuable resource for Hamas's military intelligence.
The IDF called it "new evidence" of the Palestinian terror group's misuse of the UN relief agency.
The alleged breakthrough comes after the military located a "tunnel shaft" near a school run by UNRWA.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The UNRWA has played a crucial role in providing humanitarian aid to millions of Palestinian refugees across West Asia since 1948.
It is also providing food, water, and shelter in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The agency was established after the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation.
The UNRWA runs schools, health clinics, infrastructure projects, and aid programs in refugee camps in Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
It employs about 13,000 people in Gaza alone.
Tunnel infrastructure
Tunnel connected to UNRWA's electrical infrastructure: IDF
The Israeli military and Shin Bet security agency claimed that the uncovered tunnel was 700 meters long and 18 meters underground, AFP reported.
The tunnel's "electrical infrastructure" was allegedly connected to UNRWA's headquarters, suggesting that the agency's facilities provided power to the tunnel.
The IDF said several documents and weapons found in the UN compound also confirmed that Hamas terrorists had used the offices.
Twitter Post
Watch: IDF posted tunnel details on X
These findings were found within @UNRWA facilities:
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 10, 2024
Acting on ISA intelligence, the forces discovered a tunnel shaft near an UNRWA school, leading to an underground terrorist tunnel beneath UNRWA's main headquarters. The forces found electrical infrastructure inside the tunnel… pic.twitter.com/n5EWJpyI4o
UNRWA response
UNRWA calls for independent investigation
In response to the claims by the Israeli military, the UNRWA stated that they had not used the base since October 12, 2023, after Hamas attacked southern Israel.
It also called for an independent investigation to bring the truth to the fore.
The agency claimed details of any suspicious activities near or under its premises were already in public knowledge, and both Israel and Hamas-controlled Gaza authorities were informed about it.
History
UN launches 2 probes into UNRWA
The UN recently opened two separate inquiries into UNRWA.
The first investigation focuses on Israeli charges that the agency workers were involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks, while the second looks into the agency's general political neutrality.
UNRWA has come under pressure after firing several staff members last month on claims of involvement in the assaults on Israel.
Following the allegations, at least nine nations suspended UNRWA financing last month.