The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)

Fighting intensifie­s across Gaza; Israel asks why are armed men at UN facility

ISRAELI TROOPS battled militants across Gaza on Wednesday, including in the southern city of Rafah that had been a refuge for civilians, in an upsurge of the more than seven-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinia­ns.

Antagonism between Israel and the united nations worse ned as the Israeli army sought an explanatio­n for footage showing armed men next toun palestinia­n relief agency vehicles. Separately, India was working to bring home the body of a UN staffer killed in Rafah by what the global body said was tank fire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s army has in recent days pressed into the east of raf ah in pursuit of what it says are four Hamas battalions. Since Hamas' Oct .7 attack, israel has killed more than 35,000 Palestinia­ns, according to Gaza health officials, with 82 dead on Tuesday in the highest single-day toll for weeks.

In the northern jab ali a district, residents said israeli tanks had destroyed clusters of homes but were facing heavy resistance from Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad. “They are bombing houses on top of their inhabitant­s,” said Abu Jehad. Islamic Jihad said it killed some foot soldiers in jab al ia, while Israel's military said it eliminated many gun men in an area where it had declared major operations over months ago.

Israel said its troops targeted a training compound, killing militants in close-quarters combat and finding many weapons.

Israel said its troops had identified fighters in the central logistics compound of the UN Palestinia­n relief agency UNRWA east of Rafah, demanding an explanatio­n. Reuters verified the location of video released by the Israeli army but could not verify when it was filmed or the identity of the men. “The U.N. has in part become a terrorist entity in itself because it co operates with ham as and covers for it ," israel' s ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan told Army Radio.

Unrwa has denied co operating with Hamas. The agency said it was examining the images and would share informatio­n when possible. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the men were thereto protect aid distributi­on .“These are false allegation­s and lies. This is a police force tasked with securing aid centres against acts of theft and looting," Abu Zuhri told Reuters.