The pinnacle of the UN support company in Gaza mentioned he had no data of what lay beneath its deserted headquarters amid Israeli claims {that a} Hamas tunnel ran beneath the location of the town of Gaza.

Philippe Lazzarini of the United Nations Aid and Works Company for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) informed X late Saturday that the company “didn’t know what’s beneath its headquarters in Gaza.” Israel has beforehand accused UNWRA of colluding with Hamas navy operations, prompting a number of donors to withdraw funding.

The UNWRA chief's feedback got here after the Israeli military invited journalists to go to the tunnel. The Israeli navy didn’t present definitive proof that Hamas fighters have been working there, but it surely did present that at the very least a part of the tunnel system ran beneath the courtyard of the help company's headquarters. .

the “metro”

Inside one of many buildings, reporters noticed a room stuffed with computer systems with wires operating right down to the ground. The troopers then present him a room in an underground tunnel advanced the place they mentioned the wires linked.

This underground room featured a wall {of electrical} cupboards with multi-colored buttons and was lined with dozens of cables. The navy claimed that the room served as a hub that fed the tunnel infrastructure within the space.

Israel has repeatedly mentioned one of many primary targets of its battle in Gaza is to destroy the underground community it says is utilized by Hamas to maneuver its fighters, weapons and provides.

Whereas few know the complete extent of what some Israeli officers name the “metro,” the tunnels are believed to run via the complete enclave for a whole lot of kilometers. Consultants estimate a depth of 15 to 60 meters (from 50 to 200 toes).

'terror'

Israel's claims concerning the tunnel look like a part of a sample aimed toward implicating UNWRA in Hamas' navy operations.

The primary humanitarian company in Gaza, UNWRA, has confronted an unprecedented funding disaster after its primary US-led worldwide donors minimize its funding over allegations of “terror”.

Lazzarini insisted that UNWRA didn’t know if something was beneath the headquarters, which vacated shortly after Israel started its bombardment of the Gaza Strip in early October.

“UNRWA is conscious of experiences via the media relating to a tunnel beneath the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza,” X mentioned.

He added that whereas the experiences deserve an impartial investigation, “that’s at the moment not doable to do as Gaza is an energetic battle zone.”

Lazzarini mentioned that UNRWA employees left the headquarters on October 12, following an Israeli evacuation order, and that they weren’t conscious of any actions that is perhaps going down then.

In occasions of no energetic battle, he added, the company inspects its premises quarterly.

“UNRWA is a human improvement and humanitarian group that doesn’t have the navy and safety experience nor the flexibility to conduct navy inspections of what’s or could possibly be beneath its premises,” he mentioned.

Previously, Lazzarini added, “letters of protest” have been offered to Hamas officers and Israeli authorities “at any time when a suspicious cavity has been discovered close to or beneath UNRWA premises” and that the matter has been “continually reported” to the UN Common Meeting.

The UN company, the one lifeline for the greater than two million folks in Gaza, has come beneath intense scrutiny after Israel mentioned 11 of its employees have been concerned within the lethal Hamas assault. in southern Israel on October 7.

Hamas fighters launched an unprecedented assault killing greater than 1,100 folks and taking about 240 prisoners. Israel responded with a fierce bombing marketing campaign killing greater than 28,000 folks and displacing practically 85 % of the inhabitants.

Regardless of UNRWA terminating the contracts of these accused by Israel of becoming a member of the assault and launching an investigation, main donors have suspended their funding, plunging the company right into a monetary disaster.

The company mentioned Israel additionally froze his checking account, embargoed support shipments and canceled his tax advantages.



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