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Israel says its troops are now "in the heart" of the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, amid the most intense fighting since its ground offensive against Hamas began. Israel is calling this the "second phase" of the war, despite increasing pressure from the international community to limit casualties.

The health ministry in Gaza, run by Hamas, says more than 16,000 Palestinians have now been killed in the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas. One such organisation calling for a ceasefire is the medical charity, M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res, which has emergency teams operating in the Gaza strip.

Dr Natalie Roberts is Executive Director of MSF UK which has written to the British government to call for an end to attacks on hospitals and medical staff. Three of her colleagues have already been killed, many more have lost family members.

"We have more than 300 Palestinian staff and a team of 15 international staff operating primarily, now, in the south of Gaza after the destruction in the north. Since the fighting restarted a few days ago we're receiving hundreds of wounded patients and people with other medical problems. And now they're completely overwhelmed."

"It's terrifying. Already we had the situation in the north of Gaza where hospitals were routinely attacked, it felt like, systematically hospitals one-by-one were surrounded and medical staff were killed. So, of course, hearing the news... in Khan Younis, where we're supporting Nasser Hospital, makes us extremely afraid for our teams."

(Pic: A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza strip; Credit: Reuters)

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