UNRWA official fears ‘mass casualties’ after Israeli tank shelling on one among its services in Khan Younis.
A number of folks have been killed after a United Nations shelter in Gaza‘s southern metropolis of Khan Younis was shelled by Israeli forces, the Gaza head of the UN company for Palestinian refugees has mentioned.
“Two tank rounds hit constructing that shelters 800 folks – reviews now 9 lifeless and 75 injured,” Thomas White, the Gaza director of the United Nations Aid and Works Company for Palestine Refugees within the Close to East (UNRWA), mentioned on the social media platform X.
Replace – assault on Khan Younis Coaching Centre this afternoon – two tank rounds hit constructing that shelters 800 folks – reviews now 9 lifeless and 75 injured@UNRWA and @WHO workforce attempting to succeed in the centre – agreed upon route with Israeli Military blocked with earth financial institution #Gaza
— Thomas White (@TomWhiteGaza) January 24, 2024
In a separate put up earlier on Wednesday, White mentioned the coaching centre sheltering displaced households had been set ablaze.
The variety of victims is anticipated to rise, because the UN official mentioned the incident had probably brought on “mass casualties”.
UNRWA spokesman Adnan Abu Hasna, based mostly in Rafah, informed Al Jazeera the UN has been attempting to ship ambulances to the positioning in coordination with the Israeli military.
He mentioned no warning had been issued by the Israeli navy previous to the assault.
The company has not been capable of entry the compound for the previous 48 hours because of the presence of Israeli tanks within the space, Abu Hasna mentioned, describing the state of affairs as “very harmful”.
“We tried to coordinate the exit of the IDPs [internally displaced persons] there however didn’t succeed sadly,” he added.
Israel has continued intense assaults on Khan Younis, concentrating on medical services, amongst others. Some 660 assaults on well being establishments have been recorded in Gaza.
‘Hearth all over the place’
Gaza’s Ministry of Well being on Wednesday mentioned the Israeli military remoted the Nasser Medical Advanced in Khan Younis after it was encircled and floor troops engaged in close-quarter fight with Hamas fighters.
The Palestinian Purple Crescent Society (PRCS) additionally wrote on X that the Israeli military surrounded its headquarters and the El Amal Hospital within the southern metropolis, imposing restrictions on motion to and from the medical facility.
Khan Younis was as soon as designated a “protected zone” for tons of of hundreds of Palestinians who evacuated from the northern elements and Gaza Metropolis in the beginning of the conflict.
Israeli troopers on Monday superior for the primary time into al-Mawasi district close to the Mediterranean coast west of Khan Younis.
Asmaa Abu Khudair, a Palestinian girl displaced from al-Mawasi to Rafah, mentioned she fled the extraordinary bombardment within the space after the constructing subsequent to hers was attacked by the Israeli navy.
“Their plane began firing. Impulsively, balls of fireside began to fall on us,” she informed Al Jazeera. “The entire space was in flames, hearth all over the place. We began working, I pulled out one among my daughters, however my different daughter I couldn’t discover.”
Abu Khudair mentioned the flames grew larger and he or she needed to flee with out her lacking daughter. “Do you perceive after I say hearth?”, she mentioned in tears. “I misplaced my daughter. My husband was in his brother’s tent.”
“The next day, their our bodies have been recovered, completely charred,” she added.
Not less than 25,700 folks have been killed and 63,740 wounded in Israeli assaults on Gaza for the reason that conflict started on October 7.
