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Key Points
- At least 27 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire near an aid site in Gaza on Tuesday, health authorities said.
- The Israeli military said it had opened fire on a group of individuals, and is investigating what occurred.
- The alleged shooting is part of a series of deadly incidents near distribution sites.
At least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, local health authorities said, in the latest bout of chaos and bloodshed to plague the aid operation.
The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of people who had left designated access routes near the distribution centre in Rafah.
It said 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.
Last week, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, supported by the United States, opened its initial distribution centers to help combat the severe hunger affecting Gaza’s war-torn residents, many of whom have been displaced due to ongoing conflicts.
The foundation’s aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations 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 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.
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 Israeli forces had identified “a number of suspects” moving towards them while deviating from the access routes.
“The forces initially fired warning shots; when the individuals did not retreat, more precise shots were aimed closer to the suspects approaching the forces,” the statement noted.
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.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 2023 assault in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages.
Israel’s campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, local health authorities say, and displaced much of the enclave’s population.
