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3. Israel Intensifies Strikes on Khan Younes After Deadly UN Shelter Attack

Israeli air strikes and ground operations were focused Thursday on the Gazan city of Khan Younes, where the UN said 12 people were killed by tank shelling at one of its shelters the day before.

The deadly incident came after the Israeli Army said it had encircled the city, where footage released by the military showed soldiers engaged in urban combat amid ruined buildings.

Hamas' press office also reported fierce clashes in the center and west of Khan Younes, while the health ministry in Gaza counted multiple deaths overnight from strikes in the city and elsewhere in the territory.

It said four children were killed in the Nuseirat camp in an early morning bombardment on Thursday.

Wednesday's attack on the UN shelter for displaced people saw the site hit by two tank rounds, killing 12 and injuring 75, said Thomas White, the Gaza head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said the number of dead was likely to rise.

"Once again, a blatant disregard of basic rules of war," Lazzarini said on the social media platform X, adding that the compound had been clearly marked as a UN facility and its coordinates had been shared with Israeli authorities.

James McGoldrick, interim UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, told reporters that "buildings were ablaze" at the shelter in the aftermath of the strike.

"Many people are trying to flee the scene but are unable to do so," he said.

The Israeli Army said that "a thorough review of the operations of the forces in the vicinity is underway," adding that it was examining the possibility that the strike was a "result of Hamas fire."

The United States condemned the attack, with State Department spokesman Vedant Patel saying, "Civilians must be protected, and the protected nature of UN facilities must be respected."

Qatar, responsible for the October 7 attack

On the diplomatic front, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States are currently trying to mediate a new, longer truce in Gaza, including the release of hostages and prisoners.

In this context, it should be noted that Israel's far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, accused Qatar on Thursday of being responsible for the October 7 Hamas attack.

His comments came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was caught on tape allegedly telling hostages' families this week that Qatar's mediation was "problematic" when it came to resolving the hostage crisis.

Qatar is the "patron of Hamas and is largely responsible for the massacre committed by Hamas against Israeli citizens," Smotrich said on X, formerly Twitter.

"Qatar is a country that supports terrorism and finances terrorism."

Smotrich accused Western governments of being "hypocritical" in maintaining close relations with Doha.

"One thing is clear: Qatar will not be involved one bit in what happens in Gaza the day after the war," he said.

Katrine Dige Houmøller, with AFP