(DCNF)—The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have discovered a series of tunnels under a major United Nations agency tied to Hamas and Islamic terrorism in Gaza, the Times of Israel reported on Saturday.
IDF discovered a network of Hamas logistics tunnels and a data hub, featuring electrical rooms, computer servers and living spaces, beneath the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the Times reported on Saturday. UNRWA had multiple sources of funding cut after it was discovered that it employed several staffers who participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks against Israel and many more staffers had ties to Islamic terrorism in the region.
The IDF had little or no previous knowledge about the Hamas tunnels existing under UNRWA’s Gaza headquarters, according to the Times. The logistics and data hub under UNRWA’s headquarters was discovered by Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence service as a result of interrogations of captured Hamas terrorists.
These findings were found within @UNRWA facilities:
Acting on ISA intelligence, the forces discovered a tunnel shaft near an UNRWA school, leading to an underground terrorist tunnel beneath UNRWA's main headquarters. The forces found electrical infrastructure inside the tunnel… pic.twitter.com/n5EWJpyI4o
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 10, 2024
“The IDF was here previously, the first time was to destroy the enemy, but when we were here the last time we collected a lot of intelligence documents and findings, a lot of prisoners, and thanks to this we reached here,” IDF Col. Benny Aharon told the Times. “Now we carried out a targeted operation to take this capability away.”
“We had a basis of information, but not enough to be able to dig down 20 meters and find it, we needed a bit more,” Aharon told the Times. “There’s information we get from prisoners we capture, from computers we find, from documents, maps.”
UNRWA Gaza head of operations Philippe Lazzarini claimed on Saturday he “did not know” that Hamas was operating and conducting logistics underground beneath the agency’s headquarters, according to the Times. “We have not used that compound since we left it [on Oct. 12] nor are we aware of any activity that may have taken place there,” Lazzarini said in a statement on Saturday.
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories: Judea and Samaria and towards the Gaza Strip (COGAT), the organization coordinating between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, pushed back on that claim, insisting that UNRWA leadership was aware of Hamas’ activities beneath the tunnels.
“Oh, you knew,” COGAT responded to Lazzarani on Saturday. “Digging a tunnel takes longer than 4 months. We invited senior officials to see, and during past meetings with you and other UN officials, we stated Hamas’s use of UNRWA’s headquarters. You chose to ignore the facts so you can later try and deny them.”
UNRWA fired multiple staffers in late January for their alleged participation in the Hamas Oct. 7 attacks against Israel. It was later discovered that over 1,000 UNRWA staffers had direct ties to Islamic terrorism, according to U.S. intelligence reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Multiple Western nations, including the U.S., have suspended funding for UNRWA pending an investigation into the organization’s ties to terrorism.
Israel is carrying out a sweeping counteroffensive against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation for the group’s terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 that killed over 1,200 civilians. The IDF has secured most of north Gaza and is preparing to push into and secure the southernmost part of the region, specifically Rafah, which borders Egypt, according to the WSJ.
UNRWA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
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Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
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In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.