One killed and dozens injured after forces fire at crowd overrunning aid site in Gaza
At least one Palestinian was killed and 48 were injured when forces opened fire at a crowd overrunning an aid site in Gaza, Gaza's Health Ministry says.
Crowds of Palestinians broke through fences around the distribution centre, set up by an Israeli-US-backed foundation.
Journalists, working for the Associated Press, say they heard Israeli tank and gun fire, and witnessed a military helicopter firing flares.
The distribution hub outside Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah opened on Monday, as part of Israel's plans for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to take over aid operations.
However, the UN and other humanitarian organisations have rejected the new system, saying it won't be able to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.3 million people and allows Israel to use food as a weapon to control the population.
They have also warned of the risk of friction between Israeli troops and people seeking supplies.
Palestinians have become desperate for food after a near three month Israeli blockade pushed Gaza to the brink of famine.
Israel says it helped establish the new aid mechanism to prevent Hamas from siphoning off supplies, but it has provided no evidence of systematic diversion of aid, and UN agencies say they have mechanisms in place to prevent it.
According to GHF, four hubs have been established, and so far two have begun operating.
They are guarded by private security contractors and have chain-link fences channelling Palestinians into what resemble military bases surrounded by large banks of sand.
GHF said its military contractors had not fired on the crowd on Tuesday but 'fell back' before resuming operations.
Israeli forces are stationed nearby in what Israel refers to as the Morag corridor, a military zone separating the southern city of Rafah, which is now mostly uninhabited, from the rest of the territory.
The UN and other humanitarian groups have refused to participate in GHF's system, saying it violates humanitarian principles.
They say it can be used by Israel to forcibly displace the population by requiring them to move near the few distribution hubs or else face starvation, a violation of international law.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that 'there was some loss of control momentarily' at the distribution point, adding that "happily, we brought it under control.'
He repeated that Israel plans to move Gaza's entire population to a 'sterile zone' at the southern end of the territory while troops fight Hamas elsewhere.
Throughout the war, the UN and other aid groups have conducted a massive operation distributing food, medicine and other supplies to wherever Palestinians are located.
Israel says GHF will replace that network, but the past week has allowed a trickle of aid to enter Gaza for the UN to distribute.
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