At least 27 Palestinians killed near Gaza aid site, health authorities say
The Israeli military (IDF) said its forces had opened fire on a group of people who 'posed a threat to them' after they left designated routes near the US and Israeli backed food distribution site in Rafah on Tuesday.
The IDF said they fired warning shots half a kilometre from the aid site.
It added it was still investigating what had happened.
The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid waste to much of the enclave.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza.
A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross told Reuters that its field hospital in Rafah received 184 casualties, adding that 19 of those were declared dead upon arrival, and eight died of their wounds shortly after.
More than 35 patients required immediate intervention, the spokesperson added.
The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first distribution sites last week in an effort to alleviate widespread hunger amongst Gaza's war-battered population.
The Foundation's aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations (UN) and established charities which say it does not follow humanitarian principles.
The private group, which is endorsed by Israel, said it distributed 21 truckloads of food early on Tuesday and that the aid operation was "conducted safely and without incident within the site".
However, there have been reports of repeated killings near Rafah as crowds gather to get desperately needed supplies.
On Sunday, Palestinian and international officials reported that at least 31 people were killed and dozens more injured.
On Monday, three more Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire.
The Israeli military has denied targeting civilians gathering for aid and called reports of deaths during Sunday's distribution "fabrications" by Hamas.
On Tuesday, it said IDF forces had identified "a number of suspects" moving towards them while deviating from the access routes.
"The forces fired evasive shots, and after they did not move away, additional shots were fired near the individual suspects who were advancing towards the forces," it said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday he was "appalled" by reports of Palestinians killed and wounded while seeking aid and called for an independent investigation.
The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders to residents of several districts in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip late on Monday, warning that the army would act forcefully against militants operating in those areas.
The military told residents to head west towards the Mawasi humanitarian area.
Palestinian and UN officials said there were no safe areas in the enclave, and that most of its 2.3 million population has become internally displaced.
The new evacuation orders could halt work at the Nasser Hospital, the largest, still-functioning medical facility in the south, endangering the lives of those being treated there, the territory's health ministry said.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 assault in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies.
In the subsequent fighting, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, local health authorities say.
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ABC News
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