In a startling discovery, Israel has revealed the existence of a Hamas tunnel network under the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza City. Footage uploaded on Saturday shows an extensive tunnel system stretching nearly 60 feet deep and half a mile long, with one entrance located near a UNRWA school. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that this secret system was clandestinely siphoning electricity from the UNRWA site.

The IDF also found similar power systems installed in tunnel networks beneath Gaza hospitals, indicating the militants' practice of stealing electricity from important buildings for their terror infrastructure. Additionally, the UNRWA is currently under investigation following the revelation that at least 12 staff members participated in an October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, resulting in over 1,200 casualties in Israel.

Israeli intelligence claims that a majority of UNRWA staff have relatives with ties to the Palestinian terror group. During a tour of the tunnels, an IDF Lieutenant Colonel, identified only as Ido, pointed out the evidence connecting the UNRWA's headquarters to the tunnel system, including the presence of wires and batteries. The IDF also discovered various weapons, including rifles, ammunition, grenades, and explosives, within the UNRWA headquarters.

While reporters on the tour did not find definitive proof of active Hamas operations beneath the UNRWA headquarters, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini acknowledged that an independent inquiry into the findings is necessary. Lazzarini stated that the relief agency had no knowledge of the Hamas facilities underground and emphasized that UNRWA lacks the expertise and capacity for military inspections of its premises.

Lazzarini mentioned that the headquarters had been inspected in September without any signs of tampering by Hamas. He further noted that whenever a Hamas tunnel or shaft was discovered near UNRWA premises in the past, both Hamas and Israel were promptly notified, and the information was made public. Expressing disappointment, Lazzarini criticized Israel for allegedly not informing UNRWA about the newly discovered tunnel, claiming that the agency only learned about it through media reports as they had evacuated the headquarters on October 12.

The revelation of the Hamas tunnel network beneath the UNRWA headquarters has raised concerns about the organization's transparency and the potential intertwining of terrorist activities with humanitarian efforts in the region. As investigations continue, the implications of this discovery on the humanitarian situation in Gaza remain to be seen.