Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused the United Nations (UN) of aiding Palestine’s terrorists Hamas and released video footage of the militants inside a UN faculty using UN cars and firing at IDF forces.
It warned the UN “of the danger that exists in the presence of the terrorists in the logistics centre”, after its drone captured the activities of Hamas in their facility.
In the first drone footage, three men dressed in black, with weapons slung over their shoulders, were standing between two white cars with UN markings.
A second video captured a man passing a rifle through the window of a white pickup truck parked next to a large building with UN markings on its roof.
A third clip shows a gunman chasing people away from the compound.
“Unrwa pledges neutrality, no weapons allowed on their sites. There is nothing neutral about Hamas gunmen with their pickups and AK-47 on the UN premises”, IDF spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner posted on X.
However, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, denied the accusation. In response, it said the UN warehouse seen in the video was abandoned the previous week after evacuation orders were issued by the IDF.
Unrwa’s communications director, Juliette Toum added that the UN staff had evacuated the compound prior to Saturday, leaving behind some vehicles and food aid.
This is not the first time Israel has accused the United Nations of aiding the Hamas militants. It had previously accused Unrwa workers of being members of Hamas and participating in the initial attacks on southern Israel that started the war in Gaza. However, an investigation by the UN said there was no evidence to prove the claim.