Over two dozen Palestinians killed near Gaza aid point
Rescuers said the 'Israeli' military killed at least 27 people near a US-backed aid centre in Gaza on Tuesday, with the army reporting it had fired on "suspects who advanced toward the troops".
The UN human rights chief condemned such attacks as a "breach of international law and a war crime", after a similar shooting in the same area on Sunday killed and wounded scores of Palestinians seeking aid, according to the civil defence agency.
Tuesday's shooting in the southern city of Rafah came as the agency reported 19 people killed in other 'Israeli'attacks in the territory, and as the 'Israeli' army announced three soldiers had been killed in northern Gaza.
"Twenty-seven people were killed and more than 90 injured in the massacre targeting civilians who were waiting for American aid in the Al-Alam area of Rafah," said civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal, who earlier told AFP the deaths occurred "when Israeli forces opened fire with tanks and drones".
The Al-Alam roundabout is about a kilometre from a centre run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a recently formed group that 'Israel' has worked with to implement a new aid distribution mechanism in the territory.
The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the group, saying it contravenes humanitarian principles and appears designed to cater to 'Israeli' military objectives.
The military claimed a crowd was moving towards the aid centre when troops saw them "deviating from the designated access routes".
"The troops carried out warning fire, and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced toward the troops," it claimed, saying it was "aware of reports regarding casualties" and was looking into the details.
GHF also claimed the operations at its site went ahead safely on Tuesday, but added it was aware the military was "investigating whether a number of civilians were injured".
"This was an area well beyond our secure distribution site and operations area," it added, advising "all civilians to remain in the safe corridor when travelling to our distribution sites".
Sunday's shooting also took place at the Al-Alam roundabout as people congregated before heading to the aid centre, rescuers and witnesses said. The civil defence agency reported 31 people killed and 176 wounded.
A military source later acknowledged "warning shots were fired towards several suspects" about a kilometre from the aid site.
UN chief Antonio Guterres urged an independent investigation into that shooting, calling it "unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food".
"Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza are unconscionable," UN human rights chief Volker Turk said after Tuesday's deaths.
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