The Israeli military says it has discovered tunnels underneath the main headquarters of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza City.

The Israeli military says it has discovered tunnels underneath the main headquarters of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza City, alleging that Hamas militants used the space as an electrical supply room.

The unveiling of the tunnels marked the latest chapter in Israel’s campaign against the embattled agency, which it accuses of collaborating with Hamas.

Recent Israeli allegations that a dozen staff members participated in the Hamas attack on Israel Oct. 7 plunged the agency into a financial crisis, prompting major donor states to suspend their funding as well as twin investigations. The agency says that Israel has also frozen its bank account, embargoed aid shipments and canceled its tax benefits.

The army invited journalists to view the tunnel on Thursday.

    • floofloofEnglish
      275·
      10 months ago

      Even AP makes the “evidence” sound weak:

      It did not prove definitively that Hamas militants operated in the tunnels underneath the UNRWA facility, but it did show that at least a portion of the tunnel ran underneath the facility’s courtyard. The military claimed that the headquarters supplied the tunnels with electricity. …

      Lazzarini said the agency has not revisited the headquarters since staff evacuated Oct. 12, and is unaware of how the facility may have been used.

      This kind of thing doesn’t really justify shutting down an aid agency, let alone killing 30,000 civilians.

      In fact, it’s odd that Israel’s army and politicians don’t see that when they come out with evidence this weak, it actually undermines their case for violence. Before, we might wonder whether they know something we don’t that supports their bombardment of Gaza. After seeing this “evidence”, the best they could muster, we know they have no justification for it.