Recent operations in Gaza City have exposed once again the deep and troubling ties between UNRWA facilities and terrorist organizations. Acting on precise intelligence from IDF and ISA, Israeli forces commenced a counterterrorism operation targeting a Hamas combat compound entrenched within the UNRWA Headquarters in Gaza City. This raid is a stark reminder of how UNRWA facilities, far from being neutral humanitarian zones, have become instrumental in supporting and enabling terrorist activities.
UNRWA’s Headquarters – A Staging Ground for Terrorism
The Commando Brigade Combat Team, led by the 99th Division and supported by Maglan and Egoz special forces, targeted a fortified Hamas compound embedded within a structure that had previously served as UNRWA’s headquarters. This compound was not merely a safe house; it was a strategic asset equipped with war rooms for surveillance operations and parts for assembling UAVs. Additionally, a vast arsenal of weapons, including tactical drones, machine guns, mortars, explosives, and grenades, was found inside the building.
This discovery underscores the troubling reality that UNRWA’s infrastructure is leveraged by terrorist organizations as operational hubs for conducting and planning attacks. The presence of such military assets within an UNRWA compound signifies more than just incidental misuse—it points to a systematic exploitation that challenges any claim of neutrality the organization asserts.
During the operation, IDF troops engaged in close combat with terrorist cells that had fortified their positions within the compound. Despite their attempts to flee, many operatives were apprehended, revealing the depth of Hamas’s reliance on such facilities. The tactical advantage provided by using a well-known humanitarian organization’s facilities as a front is clear: it complicates military responses and endangers civilians who rely on these institutions for aid.
Further investigations uncovered an underground laboratory nearby, located within a university building, where explosives and weapons were being manufactured. This finding, combined with the operation inside the UNRWA compound, illustrates a broader, integrated network of terrorist infrastructure embedded within civilian and educational sites.
This incident is not an anomaly. Previous IDF operations have revealed an underground tunnel network running beneath what had served as UNRWA’s main building, demonstrating the repeated use of these facilities in terrorist activities. Such patterns show that UNRWA’s involvement in these operations is more than passive; it indicates a disturbing level of complicity or, at best, gross negligence in preventing the misuse of its sites.
The use of UNRWA’s headquarters as a combat and surveillance center by Hamas is a direct violation of its humanitarian mandate and international law. The discovery of military assets and the capture of terrorists in such a facility demand immediate international attention and action. The global community must reassess the role and oversight of UNRWA to ensure that its facilities are not exploited as extensions of terrorist networks.
The revelations from the recent IDF operation in Gaza City make it clear that UNRWA facilities have become entrenched parts of terrorist infrastructure. The international community must recognize the gravity of this issue and implement stringent oversight measures to prevent further misuse. Without holding UNRWA accountable, these facilities will continue to serve as strategic assets for groups like Hamas, undermining peace efforts and putting civilian lives at risk.
