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| Israel Strikes Hamas 'Command and Control Center' in U.N. Building | |
| 2024-05-06 | |
| [Breitbart] The government of Israel confirmed on Sunday that it had discovered a terrorist “Hamas command and control center” in a complex run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the U.N.’s agency for Palestinian issues. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA), or Shin Bet, issued a joint statement confirming an airstrike Subday on the facility, which they said intelligence confirmed was being used as “a staging ground for multiple attacks on IDF troops located in Gaza’s central corridor in recent weeks.” The strike reportedly occurred shortly before Israeli officials confirmed that the country had begun dropping flyers to civilians in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, urging them to evacuate before a military operation against Hamas. In January, UNRWA acknowledged intelligence that found at least 12 of its employees directly participated in the atrocities, which resulted in the killing of approximately 1,200 people and abduction of an estimated 250 others. Leaked communications in an online group featuring thousands of UNRWA employees found that many celebrated the slaughter and openly prayed for the terrorists engaging in it. Despite this, UNRWA insisted that its only objective in Gaza is to aid civilians, not Hamas, and that its operations are pivotal for the survival of the people of Gaza. The IDF and Shin Bet accused UNRWA in a statement on Sunday of allowing Hamas to use a complex allegedly intended for humanitarian efforts to stage terror attacks against Israeli troops. “Following precise IDF and ISA intelligence, IAF fighter jets struck a Hamas command and control center in the central Gaza Strip which served as central terrorist infrastructure,” the statement said. “The strike was carefully planned and carried out using precise munition in order to minimize harm to uninvolved civilians.” “The command and control center was used as a staging ground for multiple attacks on IDF troops located in Gaza’s central corridor in recent weeks,” the agencies said. “Furthermore, the forward operations base was used to carry out attacks on humanitarian efforts, which aims to increase the distribution of humanitarian aid to Gazan civilians.” The IDF and Shin Bet added that Hamas used the location to distribute weapons to terrorists. “The Hamas terrorist organization systematically exploits the civilian population and institutions as human shields for their terrorist activities against the State of Israel,” the agencies affirmed. UNRWA has long operated as the closest thing to a functional government in Gaza, in charge of the education of children, the little health care available for residents, and some distribution of food and other aid.
UNRWA funds these activities with money from governments. The top donor prior to the discovery that UNRWA officials participated in the October 7 attacks, which resulted in a suspension of funding, was the United States. According to the State Department, the administration of President Joe Biden donated nearly $700 million to UNRWA between 2021 and 2023. “We’ve provided over $890 million for Palestinians, including over $680 in humanitarian assistance for refugees in the region through UNRWA … When Secretary Blinken was in Ramallah, he announced another $50 million in funding for UNRWA,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in February 2023. | |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #1 Oh, not the UN building in New York. Pity. Wouldn't *that* make a statement! |
| Posted by: SteveS 2024-05-06 20:47 |