The Israeli military says it has discovered a Hamas tunnel under the headquarters of the UN Palestinian Relief Agency (UNRWA) in the city of Gaza. The approximately 700-meter-long facility was “an important asset for Hamas' military reconnaissance services,” said a joint statement from the army and the Israeli secret service Shin Bet on Saturday. Meanwhile, Hamas warned Israel in the event of an attack on the border town Rafah faces repercussions for hostage release negotiations.
The entrance to the Hamas tunnel is located near a UNRWA-run school in the city of Gaza, according to Israeli military and intelligence officials. An AFP photographer, in the presence of the Israeli army, filmed, among other things, a room with cables and metal cabinets that apparently contained electronics. According to Israeli sources, the tunnel's “electrical infrastructure” was connected to UNRWA headquarters and was presumably supplied with electricity from there.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said in response to the Israeli reports that the headquarters in the city of Gaza had not been used since October 12. He claimed he knew nothing about the tunnel and called for an independent investigation.
Israel's Foreign Minister Katz called Lazzarini's statements on the online service X (formerly Twitter) “absurd” and spoke of an “affront to common sense.” He called for the UNRWA chief to resign.
The German-Israeli Society expressed itself similarly harshly. If the Israeli reports are confirmed, “the extent of UNRWA's complicity and cronyism with Hamas will have a new quality,” explained its President Volker Beck. He called for an “orderly exit” from funding the aid organization.
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