At least 34 Palestinians killed in shootings near food distribution centres
The toll was the deadliest yet in the near-daily shootings that have taken place as thousands of Palestinians move through Israeli military-controlled areas to reach the food centres run by the private contractor, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
Two witnesses said Israeli troops opened fire early on Monday in an attempt to control the crowds.
There was no immediate comment by the Israeli military. It has said in previous instances that troops fired warning shots at what it calls suspects approaching their positions.
Gaza's health ministry said 33 Palestinians were killed trying to reach the GHF centre near the southern city of Rafah and another en route to a GHF hub in central Gaza. It said four other people were killed elsewhere.
Two Palestinians trying to get food at the Rafah site, Heba Jouda and Mohammed Abed, told the Associated Press that Israeli forces fired on the crowds at about 4am at the flag roundabout.
The roundabout, hundreds of metres from the GHF centre, has repeatedly been the scene of shootings.
The military has designated specific routes to access the food centres, and GHF has warned aid-seekers that leaving the roads is dangerous, but many do in an attempt to get to the food first.
Israel and the United States say the new GHF system is needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off aid.
GHF says there has been no violence in or around the sites themselves.
UN agencies and major aid groups, which have delivered humanitarian aid across Gaza since the start of the 20-month Israel-Hamas war, have rejected the new system, saying it cannot meet the territory's needs and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon.
They deny there is widespread theft of aid by Hamas.
Palestinian health officials say scores of people have been killed and hundreds wounded since the sites opened last month.
Experts have warned that Israel's ongoing military campaign and restrictions on the entry of aid have put Gaza, which is home to some 2.0 million Palestinians, at risk of famine.
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At least 34 Palestinians killed in shootings near food distribution centres
The toll was the deadliest yet in the near-daily shootings that have taken place as thousands of Palestinians move through Israeli military-controlled areas to reach the food centres run by the private contractor, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Two witnesses said Israeli troops opened fire early on Monday in an attempt to control the crowds. There was no immediate comment by the Israeli military. It has said in previous instances that troops fired warning shots at what it calls suspects approaching their positions. Gaza's health ministry said 33 Palestinians were killed trying to reach the GHF centre near the southern city of Rafah and another en route to a GHF hub in central Gaza. It said four other people were killed elsewhere. Two Palestinians trying to get food at the Rafah site, Heba Jouda and Mohammed Abed, told the Associated Press that Israeli forces fired on the crowds at about 4am at the flag roundabout. The roundabout, hundreds of metres from the GHF centre, has repeatedly been the scene of shootings. The military has designated specific routes to access the food centres, and GHF has warned aid-seekers that leaving the roads is dangerous, but many do in an attempt to get to the food first. Israel and the United States say the new GHF system is needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off aid. GHF says there has been no violence in or around the sites themselves. UN agencies and major aid groups, which have delivered humanitarian aid across Gaza since the start of the 20-month Israel-Hamas war, have rejected the new system, saying it cannot meet the territory's needs and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon. They deny there is widespread theft of aid by Hamas. Palestinian health officials say scores of people have been killed and hundreds wounded since the sites opened last month. Experts have warned that Israel's ongoing military campaign and restrictions on the entry of aid have put Gaza, which is home to some 2.0 million Palestinians, at risk of famine.
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Gaza health ministry says 34 Palestinians killed in shootings near food distribution centres
At least 34 Palestinians have been shot dead near food distribution centres in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry. It said 33 people were killed trying to reach a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) centre near Rafah, while another person died heading to an aid hub in the central Gaza Strip. Israeli troops had opened fire as they attempted to control the crowds early on Monday close to the Rafah site, two witnesses said. The number of deaths in shootings was the highest reported daily total since the Israeli and US-backed aid centres opened in May, as thousands of Palestinians move through Israeli military-controlled areas to get to them. The ministry added on Monday that four other people who were not trying to reach distribution centres were killed elsewhere. It claims hundreds of Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more injured since the GHF centres opened. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has not commented on the latest incident, but previously said its troops had fired warning shots at what it called suspects approaching their positions near GHF sites. Heba Jouda and Mohamed Abed, two Palestinians who were in the crowd of thousands near the Rafah aid site, said Israeli troops started firing at around 4am. Ms Jouda said: "Fire was coming from everywhere... It's getting worse day by day." 8:49 The International Committee of the Red Cross added in a statement that its field hospital had received around 200 injured people on Monday - the highest mass casualty event it has seen. Speaking on Sunday, a GHF spokesperson said that "none of the incidents to date have occurred at our sites or during operating hours". They added the incidents have involved aid-seekers who were moving "during prohibited times... or trying to take a short cut," and said it was trying to improve safety measures. It comes as Foreign Secretary David Lammy called on Israel to "show restraint" in its strikes on Iran, and warned military action will not end Tehran's nuclear capabilities. "Fundamentally, no military action can put an end to Iran's capabilities," he told MPs, adding that the government's message to Israel and Iran is: "Step back, show restraint, don't get pulled ever deeper into a catastrophic conflict whose consequences nobody can control."
