The head of the UN humanitarian agency in Gaza says he has no knowledge of what lies beneath its abandoned headquarters, as Israel claims a Hamas tunnel runs beneath the city site from Gaza.
Philippe Lazzarini of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said Saturday evening that the agency “did not know what was under its headquarters in Gaza.” Israel has previously accused UNRWA of collusion with Hamas’ military operations, prompting several donors to withdraw their funding.
The UNRWA chief’s comments come after the Israeli military invited journalists to tour the tunnel. The Israeli military did not provide definitive proof that Hamas fighters were operating there, but showed that at least part of the tunnel system ran under the courtyard of the aid agency’s headquarters.
The Subway’
Inside one of the buildings, reporters saw a room full of computers with cables extending to the floor. The soldiers then showed them a room in an underground tunnel complex where they believed the wires were connected.
This underground room featured a wall of electrical cabinets with multi-colored buttons and was lined with dozens of cables. The military claimed the hall served as a hub powering tunnel infrastructure in the region.
Israel has repeatedly said one of the main goals of its war in Gaza is to destroy the underground network it says is used by Hamas to move its fighters, weapons and supplies.
Although few people know the extent of what some Israeli officials call the “metro,” the tunnels would span the entire enclave for hundreds of kilometers. Experts estimate a depth of 15 to 60 meters (50 to 200 feet).
‘Terror’
Israel’s claims over the tunnel appear to be part of a plan to involve UNRWA in Hamas’ military operations.
Gaza’s main humanitarian agency, UNRWA, is facing an unprecedented funding crisis after its main international donors, led by the United States, cut its funding over allegations of “terrorism”.
Lazzarini insisted that UNRWA did not know if there was anything under the siege, which he left shortly after Israel began its bombardment of the Gaza Strip in early October.
“UNRWA has been informed of media reports regarding a tunnel under UNRWA headquarters in Gaza,” said on X.
He added that while these reports merit an independent investigation, “this is currently not possible given that Gaza is an active war zone.”
– UNRWA did not know what was under its headquarters in Gaza.
– UNRWA has been informed of media reports regarding a tunnel under UNRWA headquarters in Gaza.
– UNRWA personnel left their headquarters in Gaza City on October 12 following Israeli evacuation orders and as…
– Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) February 10, 2024
Lazzarini said UNRWA personnel left the headquarters on October 12, following an Israeli evacuation order, and was not aware of any activity that may have taken place there since.
In the absence of an active conflict, he added, the agency inspects its premises every quarter.
“UNRWA is a humanitarian and human development organization that does not have the military and security expertise nor the capacity to undertake military inspections of what is or could be found on its premises,” he said. he declares.
In the past, Lazzarini added, “letters of protest” were addressed to Hamas officials and Israeli authorities “whenever suspicious cavities were discovered near or under UNRWA premises” and the matter was “systematically reported” to the United Nations General Assembly.
The UN agency, the only lifeline for Gaza’s more than two million residents, came under close scrutiny after Israel claimed 11 of its employees took part in the attack deadly Hamas attack against southern Israel on October 7.
Hamas fighters launched an unprecedented attack, killing more than 1,100 people and taking around 240 prisoners. Israel responded with a fierce bombing campaign, killing more than 28,000 people and displacing nearly 85 percent of the population.
Although UNRWA terminated the contracts of those accused by Israel of participating in the attack and launched an investigation, major donors suspended their funding, plunging the agency into a financial crisis.
The agency said Israel also froze its bank account, embargoed aid shipments and canceled its tax benefits.
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