if you require any more evidence that israel is a criminal organization with no moral authority here it is;

• Israel says it ruled out that it was responsible for strike on U.N. shelter
• Israel says it is investigating if Hamas was behind shelling
• Washington says it deplores the attack

GAZA/JERUSALEM, Jan 24 (Reuters) – The United Nations said on Wednesday that Israeli tanks struck a huge U.N. compound in Gaza sheltering displaced Palestinians, causing “mass casualties”, but Israel denied its forces were responsible and suggested Hamas may have launched the shelling.

The attack, which the U.N. said hit a vocational training centre housing 30,000 displaced people in Khan Younis, southern Gaza’s main city, prompted rare outright condemnation from the United States.

“Mass casualties have taken place, some buildings are ablaze and there are reports of deaths. Many people are trying to flee the scene, but unable to do so,” U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for the Palestinian Territory James McGoldrick said.

Thomas White, director of Gaza affairs for the U.N. agency UNRWA, said two tank rounds hit one of the centre’s buildings where some 800 displaced people were sheltering. At least nine people were killed and 75 wounded. The agency’s head Philippe Lazzarini said the death toll was probably higher.

“The compound is a clearly marked U.N. facility and its coordinates were shared with Israeli Authorities as we do for all our facilities. Once again a blatant disregard of basic rules of war,” Lazzarini said.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said: “We deplore today’s attack on the U.N.’s Khan Younis training centre.” ...........more........