In a recent development, the Israeli military announced the discovery of tunnels beneath the main headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) for Palestinian refugees in Gaza City. The military alleges that Hamas militants utilized the space as an electrical supply room. This revelation has further intensified Israel's campaign against the embattled agency, as it accuses UNWRA of collaborating with Hamas.

The Israeli government's allegations that a dozen UNWRA staff members took part in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 have plunged the agency into a financial crisis. This crisis prompted major donor states to suspend their funding and launch twin investigations. Israel has also frozen UNWRA's bank account, placed an embargo on aid shipments, and canceled its tax benefits.

To shed light on the situation, the Israeli army invited journalists to view the tunnel underneath the UNWRA facility on Thursday. While it did not definitively prove the involvement of Hamas militants in the tunnels, it did establish that a portion of the tunnel ran underneath the facility's courtyard. The army claims that the headquarters supplied the tunnels with electricity, adding to the significance of the discovery.

UNWRA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini expressed that the agency had no knowledge of the facility's underground infrastructure. He emphasized the need for an independent inquiry, which the agency is currently unable to conduct due to the ongoing conflict. Lazzarini further stated that UNWRA regularly inspects its facilities and had conducted a routine inspection of the headquarters in September prior to the recent events.

The Israeli forces used a familiar tactic to locate the tunnel, overturning mounds of red earth to create a hole leading to a small tunnel entrance. The unearthed shaft led to an underground passageway estimated to be at least half a kilometer long, with multiple doors. Journalists were even able to make eye contact with soldiers standing in a courtyard within the UNWRA facility through a hole in the tunnel.

Inside the tunnel, journalists observed a room full of computers with wires stretching down into the ground. The soldiers claimed that this room served as a hub for powering the tunnel infrastructure in the area. The military also claimed that the tunnel began at a UNWRA school and extended for 700 meters, reaching a depth of 18 meters. Furthermore, the military reported finding rifles, ammunition, grenades, and explosives in the facility, alleging that it had been used by Hamas militants.

Hamas has previously admitted to constructing a vast network of tunnels across Gaza, which Israel has aimed to destroy during its offensive. Israel accuses Hamas of using these tunnels to transport fighters, weapons, and supplies throughout the territory, often near civilian areas and UN facilities, thereby endangering the lives of civilians.

As a result of these recent findings, the UNWRA headquarters on the western edge of Gaza City have been completely decimated. The area has experienced widespread damage, with bullet holes and shrapnel marring the walls, and U.N. vehicles left in disarray.

In response to the Israeli allegations, UNWRA representative Touma criticized the Israeli army's occupation of the agency's headquarters, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. The unfolding events have further complicated the already tense Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the region.