UNRWA finds tunnel underneath Gaza school
In second time this year, tunnel found under educational institution in the strip; 'The presence of the tunnel underneath an UNRWA facility is unacceptable and places the children and staff in danger,' the UN body says.
Israel was informed immediately upon the discovery. While Hamas has been digging dozens of tunnels throughout Gaza in a bid to infiltrate Israel and kidnap IDF soldiers or civilians, it was not immediately clear who was responsible for digging the recently revealed tunnel.
“The presence of the tunnel underneath an UNRWA facility,” which enjoys immunity from international law, “is unacceptable and places the children and staff in danger,” an UNRWA statement said.
Immediately after the tunnel's discovery, UNRWA staff closed down the school and sealed off the exposed space underground. The school resumed normal activities last Wednesday after ten days of closure.
Additionally, UNRWA officials complained to the relevant officials against the violation of the UN’s policy of neutrality in areas where its forces and bodies are present.
A similar incident took place in June when a Hamas tunnel was found under a different school inside the Gaza Strip.
“The latest finding verifies once again that Hamas’s cruelty knows no limits, including endangering centers of learning and education, and using children as human shields,” Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in June.
