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Smoke after Israeli bombing over Khan Yunis

Photo: Mohammed Dahman/dpa

According to the United Nations, several people have died in a fire at a facility run by the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA in the Gaza Strip.

The training center in the city of Chan Yunis was hit by two tank shells during fighting, the Gaza director of the aid agency, Thomas White, said on Wednesday on the X platform, formerly Twitter.

Nine deaths and 75 injuries were reported.

According to White, around 800 displaced people had sought shelter in the facility.

Now buildings are on fire, he explained.

White did not write who he believed attacked the facility.

Eyewitnesses told the dpa news agency that the fire was caused by Israeli bombing.

When asked, the Israeli army said it was currently ruling out that the incident was due to an Israeli air or artillery attack.

An investigation is ongoing.

The army is also checking whether it could be a Hamas attack.

The military had previously announced that soldiers were carrying out a multi-day operation against Hamas in the west of Khan Yunis.

Recently there was particularly fierce fighting in the area of ​​the largest city in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Thousands of Palestinians are currently fleeing the embattled city.

White said people at the training center have been denied safe access in and out of the facility for two days.

"People are trapped," he wrote.

A team is trying to reach the facility using a route agreed upon with the Israeli army.

But this is blocked by piled up earth.

In the afternoon, 16 human rights organizations called for a stop to arms deliveries to Israel and armed Palestinian groups.

The transfer of weapons and ammunition should be stopped as long as there is a risk that the weapons could be used in human rights violations and violations of international law, the call says.

Signatory organizations include Save the Children, Oxfam, Amnesty International and Plan International.

They are demanding an immediate ceasefire.

The international community has a duty to prevent atrocities and ensure the protection of the civilian population.

czl/dpa