This Video Does Not Show The Destroyed UNRWA Headquarters In Gaza
The Claim
A video show the dstroyed UNRWA Headquarters In Gaza.
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Recently, various accounts on X shared a video purportedly showing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in Gaza demolished by Israeli forces.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating video and found the claim to be misleading.
The video went viral on November 15, 2023, and was circulated at the time as showing the destruction of the “Gaza Parliament Building,” also known as the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Gaza.
But the circulating video does not show either building, the Legislative Council or the UNRWA headquarters. Shortly after it went viral last November, independent online investigators determined the geographic location of the apparent building in the Juhor ad-Dik area in northeastern Gaza, an area destroyed by the Israeli army during the 2014 war.
This site is located several kilometers from UNRWA headquarters in Gaza (or even the Legislative Council). Also, until February 14, 2024, the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza was still standing, despite being damaged, according to a field video clip published by the American Forbes magazine.
The legislative council building in question is not located in the Juhr al-Dik area, which has become “almost uninhabited.” Rather, it is located in the Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City and does not resemble the building shown in the circulating clip at all.
Israeli Finance Ministry Blocks Food Deliveries to Gaza
Israel's finance ministry, under the leadership of Bezalel Smotrich, has halted the delivery of food supplies to Gaza. The shipments were intended for the main United Nations agency for Palestinians, known as UNRWA, as stated by Mr. Smotrich on Tuesday.
In a statement, Mr. Smotrich, a hard-right settler leader, explained that he issued a directive to prevent the transfer of flour shipments to UNRWA. This decision was made based on allegations that some of the agency's employees had affiliations with Hamas. Israel's action has once again created a disagreement with the Biden administration, which has increasingly criticized Israel's conduct during the conflict.
Jake Sullivan, President Biden's national security adviser, expressed concern over the situation, stating that the flour has not been moving as expected and emphasizing the expectation that Israel will fulfill its commitment to ensure the delivery of the flour into Gaza.
Correction: In a previous version of this article, Misbar’s team mistakenly reported that the video shows Gaza's Parliament Building.
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