More than 48 Palestinians killed as they wait for flour delivery in Gaza Strip
The Israeli Defence Forces, who control the Zikim Crossing distribution point, admitted firing shots when their soldiers felt 'threatened'.
Hours later, more than 48 were dead with hundreds more injured at the main entry point for humanitarian aid to northern Gaza, according to a local hospital.
Hamas claimed the shooting lasted, three hours as thousands were funnelled towards the trucks delivering vital aid.
Graphic photos show bodies being ferried away from the scene of the shooting in wooden carts, which people expected to pick up supplies with, as well as crowds of people carrying bags of flour.
The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) say Israeli military have turned these humanitarian points into 'killing grounds, deliberately targeting civilians in their most vulnerable state'.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said their investigation found their soldiers carried out warning shots in the air, shots that were not directed at the crowd, after they felt threatened. They claimed there were no casualties directly from IDF gunfire.
One IDF security official said: 'From an initial investigation, it appears that during the gathering, sounds of gunfire were heard from within the crowd and internal friction among Gazans within the gathering, in addition to several cases of people being run over by the aid trucks.'
In a statement, the IDF said: 'We place utmost importance on the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and work to enable and facilitate the transfer of aid in coordination with the international community, and certainly do not intentionally act against humanitarian aid trucks.'
The deaths came the day after Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would recognise the Palestinian state if 'substantive steps' were not taken by the Israeli government to the anger of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Under a suffocating Israeli blockade, food, fuel and humanitarian aid have become luxuries for Palestinians.
A breakdown of law and order has seen aid convoys overwhelmed by desperate, famine-ridden people with Gaza becoming the most expensive place to eat in the world.
What little food remains has been pushed to black-market extremities, as shown by prices shared with Metro by Christian Aid workers on the ground.
A 25kg sack of flour is now more expensive than a Michelin-star dinner in Paris, costing as much as £414, compared to £8.80 before the start of the war.
Al-Saraya Field Hospital, where critical cases are stabilised before transfer to main hospitals, said it received more than 100 dead and wounded.
Fares Awad, head of the Gaza Health Ministry's emergency service, said some bodies were taken to other hospitals, indicating the toll could rise.
Israeli strikes and gunfire had earlier killed at least 46 Palestinians overnight and into Wednesday, most of them among crowds seeking food, health officials said.
Another seven Palestinians, including a child, died of malnutrition-related causes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Under heavy international pressure, Israel announced a series of measures over the weekend to facilitate the entry of more international aid to Gaza, but aid workers say much more is needed.
COGAT, the Israeli military body that facilitates the entry of aid, said more than 220 trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday. That is far below the 500-600 trucks a day that UN agencies say are needed, and which entered during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year.
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid since May, most near sites run by the GHF, according to witnesses, local health officials and the UN human rights office.
International airdrops of aid have also resumed, but many of the parcels have landed in areas that Palestinians have been told to evacuate while others have plunged into the Mediterranean Sea, forcing people to swim out to retrieve drenched bags of flour.
Israel denies there is any starvation in Gaza, rejecting accounts to the contrary from witnesses, UN agencies and aid groups, and says the focus on hunger undermines ceasefire efforts. More Trending
Hamas started the war with its attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, in which militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted 251 others.
They still hold 50 hostages, including around 20 believed to be alive.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Its count does not distinguish between militants and civilians. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The UN and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
MORE: Recognising Palestine is not rewarding Hamas – and it shouldn't come with strings
MORE: What's stopping Keir Starmer from recognising Palestine as a state?
MORE: I offered to trade my £600 camera – all for a bag of flour
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