Israel’s military said it had discovered a Hamas tunnel beneath the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza City, prompting Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Monday to call for the resignation of UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini.

The Israeli army and security agency Shin Bet said the tunnel shaft was found near a school run by UNRWA, was 18 metres underground and 700 metres long, and led to the agency’s headquarters.

The army and Shin Bet said in statements that the tunnel was being used as an intelligence base by Hamas and that electricity was provided by a UNRWA facility.

He also claimed documents and weapons had been found at the UNRWA headquarters, “indicating that the building was used by Hamas terrorists.”

While Secretary-General Lazzarini said he “did not know” about the underground facility, Foreign Minister Katz posted on Twitter that he “has no choice but to resign.” (c)AFP