Gaza civil defence reports 26 killed near aid centres in Israeli attacks
Agency spokesman Mahmud Basal stated that 22 died near a site southwest of Khan Yunis and four near another centre northwest of Rafah, attributing both incidents to 'Israeli gunfire.'
One witness, Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, described attempting to collect food before dawn with relatives when 'Israeli soldiers' opened fire.
'Every day I go there and all we get is bullets and exhaustion instead of food,' he told AFP. The Israeli military said it was 'looking into' the claims.
Media restrictions and access difficulties in Gaza prevent independent verification of casualty figures.
The war, triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, has left Gaza's 2 million residents facing severe shortages of food and essentials, with doctors noting rising malnutrition cases.
Deaths near aid centres have become frequent, with Palestinian authorities blaming Israeli forces. The civil defence agency reported nine killed near Rafah's Al-Shakoush area on Friday.
The US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, managing aid since late May, said 20 died in Khan Yunis on Wednesday but accused 'agitators... affiliated with Hamas' of inciting chaos.
The UN recorded 875 deaths while seeking aid, including 674 near GHF sites. A ceasefire demand by Hamas includes unrestricted aid access. - AFP
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