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AP:
WP: "Israeli troops backed by helicopter gunships fought their way into a crowded neighborhood of Gaza City on Thursday ... The fighting forced panicked residents to flee their homes, while others reported being trapped, too terrified to move. The skyline was obscured by thick black smoke rising from several high-rise towers in the heart of the city that had been struck by artillery shells, as well as by smokescreens being dropped from circling helicopters."Witnesses and United Nations officials say Israeli shells have struck the U.N. headquarters in the Gaza Strip.
The compound has been serving as a shelter for hundreds of people fleeing Israel's devastating offensive in Gaza. U.N. spokesman Chris Gunness says at least three people were wounded.
The entire area is engulfed in smoke and it's not clear whether anyone is still inside the compound.
The compound includes the headquarters of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, a school and other offices. Gunness says large amounts of aid supplies, as well as fuel trucks, could soon be destroyed.
The attack came as U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon was in Israel trying to promote a cease-fire.
NYT caption: A United Nations worker ran out of a warehouse in Gaza City after it was hit by Israeli forces.
(Credit: Photo: Mahmud Hams/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
(Photo credit, Hatem Moussa/AP).