IDF says it found Hamas command room in UNRWA HQ, alongside drone, weapons caches

Troops of the IDF’s Commando Brigade have located weapons and a command room used by Hamas at UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza City, the military says.

The troops raided the compound earlier this week as part of a new operation carried out by the 99th Division in western and southern neighborhoods of Gaza City.

Troops of the Commando Brigade operate at UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza City, in a handout photo published July 12, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The UNRWA HQ has not been in use in recent months. The IDF raided the compound earlier this year, discovering a major Hamas tunnel network that passed beneath it.

In the latest operation, the IDF says the commandos captured Hamas operatives who attempted to flee the UNRWA facility, as well as engaging in battles with cells of gunmen who were holed up inside.

A Hamas drone found by IDF troops at UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza City, in a handout photo published July 12, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Commando Brigade troops also found parts of a Hamas drone, a command room used to observe Israeli forces and dozens of weapons, including rockets, machine guns, mortars, explosive devices, grenades and drones that drop bombs, the military says.

In a nearby university building, the IDF says the commandos located an underground bomb-making lab and additional weapons.