As the conflict in Gaza continues, humanitarian groups here are feeling the blow.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is no exception.

Angry locals torched the agency's furniture and left its offices ransacked.

One resident said they tried stopping the angry mob before the damage could worsen.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) KHAN YOUNIS RESIDENT, SUHAIL ABU KHDEID, SAYING:

"We stopped the protesters. They were breaking windows and setting fires, and they prevented the fire squad from putting out the fire. We tried the best we could to put out the fire inside. The Red Cross serves the people, the entire Palestinian people. And we don't want any more damage."

The protesters said the agency was neglecting calls for help from residents trapped in nearby villages.

A spokesperson for the agency said intense combat is jeopardizing their work.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SPOKESPERSON OF ICRC DELEGATION IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, CECILIA GOIN,