Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant believes that deepening the military operation in the Gaza Strip will ensure a realistic agreement to recover the captives. He stated in remarks this Sunday morning to government ministers at the Jules military base that the closer the grip on Hamas, the nearer the achievement of the war's objective. He added that Israeli forces have penetrated the core of the movement, saying that its intelligence is currently being used against it.
Gallant's comments came in response to the Israeli army's announcement of finding a Hamas headquarters beneath a UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) facility in Gaza City. Meanwhile, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini emphasized that the agency cannot confirm or comment on Israeli reports regarding the existence of a tunnel under the agency's main headquarters in Gaza City. Lazzarini stated in a statement published on X that agency staff evacuated the premises on October 12 and confirmed that the agency does not know what lies beneath.
This comes as it has not been definitively proven that Hamas fighters operated in the tunnels beneath the UNRWA facility. However, a video released by the Israeli army showed that at least part of a tunnel passes under the premises. The military claimed that the headquarters was supplying the tunnels with electricity.
**Investigation into the Allegations**
It is noteworthy that earlier, several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada, announced suspending funding for UNRWA amid doubts about its relations with the Palestinian Hamas movement. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the establishment of an independent committee tasked with assessing the "neutrality" of UNRWA and responding to allegations targeting some of its staff.
This came after Israel accused 12 UNRWA employees of being involved in the Hamas attack on October 7. Consequently, UNRWA terminated the contracts of the accused employees and opened an investigation. Several countries have announced a temporary halt to their funding for the agency following the Israeli allegations.
