Israeli forces exposed a complex tunnel network, stretching hundreds of meters and partially located under the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in Gaza. The military alleges that this discovery provides new evidence of Hamas exploiting the UN relief agency’s infrastructure for Palestinians.
Amid a crisis for UNRWA, which faces funding freezes from several donor countries, the Israeli army took reporters from foreign news outlets on a guided tour of the passages. The agency is under internal investigation following Israel’s claims that some of its staff doubled as Hamas operatives.
What does Hamas tunnel under UN agency’s headquarter look like?
The tunnel, measuring 700 meters in length and 18 meters deep, was explored by journalists in a closely escorted trip. Reporters descended into the concrete-lined passage from a shaft near a school on the outskirts of the UN compound. The tour revealed side-rooms, including an office space with emptied steel safes, a tiled toilet, a chamber with computer servers, and another filled with industrial battery stacks.
An army lieutenant-colonel leading the tour said that the tunnel was used as a central command for Hamas intelligence.
“UNRWA … does not have the military and security expertise nor the capacity to undertake military inspections of what is or might be under its premises,” the statement said.
“In the past, whenever (a) suspicious cavity was found close to or under UNRWA premises, protest letters were promptly filed to parties to the conflict, including both the de facto authorities in Gaza (Hamas) and the Israeli authorities.”
He added that the underground facility played a key role in directing combat activities.
These findings were found within @UNRWA facilities:
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
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 10, 2024
UNRWA, employing 13,000 people in Gaza and providing crucial aid and services, countered the Israeli findings. The agency claimed to have vacated the headquarters on October 12, shortly after the war began, and expressed its inability to confirm or comment on the military’s discovery.
Also watch | Israel-Hamas war | US suspends funding to UNRWA
UNRWA supporters argue its crucial role in aiding Palestinians, while Israel contends the agency is influenced by Hamas and calls for its replacement.
What does it mean?
The tunnel’s location under the UNRWA headquarters raises questions about the organization’s involvement, with Israel asserting that Hamas operates within civilian facilities.
The lack of cellphone reception in the tunnel made geolocation impossible.
Journalists were required to deposit personal items in a bucket, lowered into a vertical hole on the headquarters’ grounds, before embarking on the tunnel tour. The Israeli military imposed restrictions on capturing military intelligence, maps, or specific equipment during the trip, underlining the sensitivity of the situation.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
