At least five people were killed and several others were injured by Israeli fire around half a mile from an aid distribution point in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials said.
The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces early on Sunday.
The bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis, which confirmed the toll.
Palestinian witnesses said Israeli forces had fired on them at a roundabout in the nearby city of Rafah as they went to get food from a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
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The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people it said were suspects who had advanced towards its forces and ignored warnings to turn away. It said the shooting occurred in an area in southern Gaza that is considered an active combat zone at night.
The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food.
Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials.
Witnesses said Sunday’s shooting occurred at around 6am, when they were told the site would open. Many had headed towards it early to try and get desperately needed food before the crowds.
Adham Dahman (30), who was at Nasser Hospital with a bandage on his chin, said a tank had fired at them. “We didn’t know how to escape,” he said. “This is trap for us, not aid.”
Zahed Ben Hassan, another witness, said someone next to him was shot in the head. He said he and others pulled the body from the scene and managed to flee to the hospital.
“They said it was a safe area from 6am until 6pm,” he said. “So why did they start shooting at us? There was light out, and they have their cameras and can clearly see us.”
The hubs are set up inside Israeli military zones – where independent media have no access – and are run by GHF, a new, controversial group of mainly American contractors.
Israel wants it to replace a system co-ordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups.
Elsewhere, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz told the military on Sunday to stop a charity boat carrying activists including Sweden’s Greta Thunberg who are planning to defy an Israeli blockade and reach Gaza.
Operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the British-flagged Madleen yacht set sail from Sicily on June 6th and is currently off the Egyptian coast, heading slowly towards the Gaza Strip, which is besieged by Israel.
Climate activist Ms Thunberg said she joined the Madleen crew to “challenge Israel’s illegal siege and escalating war crimes” in Gaza and highlight the urgent need for humanitarian aid. She has rejected previous Israeli accusations of anti-Semitism.
Israel went to war with Hamas in October 2023 after the Islamist militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing more 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies.
More than 54,000 Palestinians have died during the ongoing Israeli assault, according to Gaza health authorities, with much of the Palestinian territory reduced to rubble. The UN has warned that most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is at risk of famine. – Agencies
