Israel calls on UNRWA boss to resign over alleged Hamas compound under Gaza HQ

Israel’s foreign minister has called for the resignation of the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees following the alleged discovery of a Hamas compound under the organisation’s headquarters in Gaza.

The call comes after UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said his agency could not “confirm or otherwise comment” on the reports and “did not know what is under its headquarters in Gaza”.

 UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has said that Israeli forces “have not informed UNRWA officially” of an “alleged tunnel” under Gaza City headquarters the UN agency’s staff left in early October last year.

UNRWA has not used the compound since staff departed on October 12 “following the Israeli evacuation orders and as bombardment intensified in the area”, he said.

Lazzarini added that UNRWA had only learned of the allegations and the presence of Israeli troops within the headquarters through media reports.