UNRWA official fears ‘mass casualties’ after Israeli tank shelling on one in every of its services in Khan Younis.
A number of individuals 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 stated.
“Two tank rounds hit constructing that shelters 800 individuals – studies now 9 useless and 75 injured,” Thomas White, the Gaza director of the United Nations Reduction and Works Company for Palestine Refugees within the Close to East (UNRWA), stated on the social media platform X.
Replace – assault on Khan Younis Coaching Centre this afternoon – two tank rounds hit constructing that shelters 800 individuals – studies now 9 useless and 75 injured@UNRWA and @WHO staff making an attempt 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 stated the coaching centre sheltering displaced households had been set ablaze.
The variety of victims is anticipated to rise, because the UN official stated the incident had possible triggered “mass casualties”.
UNRWA spokesman Adnan Abu Hasna, based mostly in Rafah, advised Al Jazeera the UN has been making an attempt to ship ambulances to the positioning in coordination with the Israeli military.
He stated no warning had been issued by the Israeli navy previous to the assault.
The company has not been in a position to entry the compound for the previous 48 hours as a result of presence of Israeli tanks within the space, Abu Hasna stated, 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.
‘Fireplace in all places’
Gaza’s Ministry of Well being on Wednesday stated the Israeli military remoted the Nasser Medical Complicated 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 “safe zone” for a whole lot of hundreds of Palestinians who evacuated from the northern elements and Gaza Metropolis at first of the warfare.
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 lady displaced from al-Mawasi to Rafah, stated she fled the extraordinary bombardment within the space after the constructing subsequent to hers was attacked by the Israeli navy.
“Their plane began firing. Hastily, balls of fireside began to fall on us,” she advised Al Jazeera. “The entire space was in flames, fireplace in all places. We began working, I pulled out one in every of my daughters, however my different daughter I couldn’t discover.”
Abu Khudair stated the flames grew larger and he or she needed to flee with out her lacking daughter. “Do you perceive after I say fireplace?”, she stated in tears. “I misplaced my daughter. My husband was in his brother’s tent.”
“The next day, their our bodies had been recovered, completely charred,” she added.
At the least 25,700 individuals have been killed and 63,740 wounded in Israeli assaults on Gaza for the reason that warfare started on October 7.
