Plumes of smoke over Gaza City, aftermath of Israeli attack in Rafah, UNRWA comment

(20 Jul 2014) A Gaza City neighbourhood came under heavy tank fire on Sunday as Israel widened its ground offensive against Hamas, causing hundreds of panicked residents to flee. Huge, thick columns of smoke rose from Shijaiyah neighbourhood as the sound of shelling echoed from inside. At least 30 people were killed in Gaza's Shijaiyah neighbourhood, and five more bodies were believed buried under the rubble of homes, health officials said. They are the latest casualties in a nearly two-week conflict that has killed some 380 Palestinians and seven Israelis. Meanwhile in the southern Gaza town of Rafah, eight Palestinians were killed in two separate attacks early on Sunday. Five of them were killed by Israeli tank shelling that took place early on Sunday and three others were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Since the start of Israel-Hamas fighting almost two weeks ago, 378 Palestinians have been killed and 2,700 wounded, according to a Gaza Health Ministry official. More than one-fourth of the deaths have been reported since the start of the ground offensive late on Thursday. Some 61,000 Palestinians are already staying in United Nations shelters, according to UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Its director of operations in the Gaza Strip appealed for an end to the violence. "We need a solution to the underlying problems of Gaza. This is the third war in five and a half years. It needs to be the last," Robert Turner said in Gaza City. The agency said it planned to open more schools. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...