Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan urged the U.N. to temporarily cease funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) over the recent discovery of two terror tunnels underneath two of their schools.
Gal Berger, Palestinian Affairs Correspondent for the Israeli public broadcast network Kan, first broke the news on Twitter. UNRWA confirmed Berger’s reporting in an August 11 statement.
“Initial risk assessments have indicated the existence of underground structures that could have led to further damage,” the statement read. “The Agency condemns the existence and potential use of such underground structures, including tunnels, in the strongest possible terms, and letters of protest have been sent to the de facto authorities in Gaza. The Agency has also protested the takeover by the de facto authorities of one of these schools, which undermines the inviolability and neutrality of UNRWA premises. These actions also stand to compromise the safe return of children to their schools and scuttles the Agency efforts to open the schools on time.”
Hamas Tunnel under UNRWA's school in Gaza- UNRWA CONFIRMS:
We condemn the existence and potential use of such underground structures, including tunnels…
we have also protested the takeover by the de facto authorities of one of these schools…
>>>https://t.co/BXwHUV4OCd— Gal Berger גל ברגר (@galberger) August 11, 2021
Erdan tweeted, “Hamas won’t let UN inspect UNRWA school because it doesn’t want the world to know it stores rockets & weapons beneath Palestinian children while firing at Israeli children– a double war crime!” He also posted a screenshot of his letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, asking “to freeze all funding of UNRWA’s facilities in Gaza and bar the usage thereof until the completion of a thorough and independent investigation of Hamas’ use and abuse of these institutions to advance its reign of terror” and stating that the UN cannot “risk exposing schoolchildren––be it Palestinian or Israeli––to the danger of unchecked Hamas activity in their midst.”
Hamas won't let UN inspect UNRWA school because it doesn't want the world to know it stores rockets & weapons beneath Palestinian children while firing at Israeli children– a double war crime! Read my letter to @UN Sec-Gen & head of @UNRWA below. pic.twitter.com/UUY5NqUs4J
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) August 11, 2021
Stephen Dujarric, a spokesperson to Guterres, responded to Erdan’s letter during a press briefing in New York by saying, according to The Jerusalem Post: “It is critical for every UN premise anywhere in the world to be free of any weapons or anything that would put that premise at risk.”
The Israel Defense Forces noted in a tweet that 4,000 students were supposed to start the school year at UNRWA schools next but now can’t because of the tunnels. “UN inspectors tried to investigate… and check if the school was safe to open, but Hamas refused to let them in. So, a school funded by [international] aid to give Gazan children a better future is instead being militarized by a terrorist group. Again, the world must condemn Hamas for using children as human shields.”
…and check if the school was safe to open, but Hamas refused to let them in.
So, a school funded by intl. aid to give Gazan children a better future is instead being militarized by a terrorist group.
Again, the world must condemn Hamas for using children as human shields.(/2)
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 12, 2021
Jewish groups weighed in.
“Hamas deliberately uses children in Gaza as human shields,” AIPAC tweeted. “4,000 students in Gaza are put in danger because Hamas uses their schools to hide terror tunnels. Hamas cares more about killing Israelis than protecting Palestinians.”
Hamas deliberately uses children in Gaza as human shields.
4,000 students in Gaza are put in danger because Hamas uses their schools to hide terror tunnels.
Hamas cares more about killing Israelis than protecting Palestinians.#FreeGazaFromHamashttps://t.co/GLvUuvEhf5
— AIPAC (@AIPAC) August 12, 2021
The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted that Erdan is “correct.” “Every donor nation must review where their [money is] going and ask the key question: Who really controls @UNRWA schools? #Hamas.”
. @giladerdan1 is correct. Every donor nation must review where their $$$ are going and ask the key question: Who really controls @UNRWA schools? #Hamas. https://t.co/HF76mhJRJj
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) August 13, 2021
UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer mocked UNRWA on Twitter, stating: “Oh, letters of protest,” the action UNRWA said they were taking in their August 11 statement. “UNRWA can’t even say the word ‘Hamas.’”
UNRWA can’t even say the word “Hamas.”
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) August 12, 2021
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