Gaza civil defense says Israeli attacks kill 26 near 2 aid centers
Agency spokesperson Mahmud Basal told AFP that 22 were killed near a site southwest of Khan Younis and four near another center northwest of Rafah, blaming "Israeli gunfire" for both.
One eyewitness said he headed to the Al-Tina area of Khan Younis before dawn with five of his relatives to try to get food when "Israeli soldiers" started shooting.
"My relatives and I were unable to get anything," Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, told AFP. "Every day I go there and all we get is bullets and exhaustion instead of food."
The Israeli military said it was "looking into" the claims when contacted by AFP.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties.
The war in Gaza, sparked by militant group Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has created dire humanitarian conditions for the local population.
The more than two million people who live in the densely populated coastal territory are facing severe shortages of food and other essentials, and doctors have reported a spike in acute malnutrition.
Deaths of people waiting for handouts in huge crowds near aid distribution centres have become a regular occurrence, with the Palestinian authorities blaming Israeli fire.
'Agitators'
The civil defense agency reported that nine people were shot and killed near the same aid point in the Al-Shakoush area northwest of Rafah on Friday.
The U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which took over the running of aid distribution in late May, said 20 people died in Khan Younis on Wednesday.
But it blamed "agitators in the crowd ... armed and affiliated with Hamas" for creating "a chaotic and dangerous surge" and firing at aid-seekers.
The previous day, the U.N. said it had recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food, including 674 "in the vicinity of GHF sites," since it began operating.
The free flow of aid into Gaza is a key demand of Hamas in the indirect talks with Israel for a 60-day cease-fire in the 21-month war.
It also wants a full Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
For its part, Israel wants Hamas to disarm to neutralise it as a security threat and the release of hostages still being held.
Both sides have accused the other of intransigence and holding up a deal.
Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Of the 251 people taken hostage that day, 49 are still in Gaza, including the 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel's retaliatory military action has killed 58,667 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
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