KHAN YUNIS – At least eight Palestinians lost their lives and a numerous others were injured on Sunday in a recent shooting incident near food distribution points backed by Israeli and U.S. aid in the Gaza Strip, per health authorities. Eyewitnesses pointed fingers at the Israeli forces, although the military has yet to provide a statement.

The conflict in Gaza continues over 20 months following the October 7, 2023, assault by Hamas, which sparked a series of events culminating in Israel’s unexpected strike on Iran this past Friday.

Witnesses said Israeli forces opened fire around dawn toward crowds of desperate Palestinians heading to two aid sites in the southern city of Rafah.

Specialists and humanitarian workers express that Israel’s prolonged blockade and military actions have significantly exacerbated hunger, pushing the over 2 million inhabitants to the brink of famine. The blockade has severely impaired Gaza’s food production capabilities, leaving the majority dependent on international relief efforts.

The shooting happened hundreds of meters (yards) from the sites that are operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a group that Israel and the United States hope will replace the U.N.-run system of aid distribution. The United Nations has rejected the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles.

There have been near-daily shootings near the sites since they opened last month. Witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on crowds, and health officials say scores have been killed. The military has acknowledged firing warning shots at what it says were suspects approaching its forces.

“There were wounded, dead, and martyrs,” Ahmed al-Masri told The Associated Press on Sunday as he returned from one site empty-handed. “It’s a trap.”

Umm Hosni al-Najjar said she joined the crowd heading to the aid point in Rafah’s Tal al-Sultan neighborhood around 4:30 a.m. She said the shooting began as people were advancing to the site a few minutes after her arrival.

“There were many wounded and martyrs,” she said. “No one was able to evacuate them.”

The Nasser Hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis said it received eight bodies after the shooting.

The aid system rolled out last month has been marred by chaos and violence, while the U.N. system has struggled to deliver food because of Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of law and order, despite Israel loosening a total blockade it imposed from early March to mid-May.

Israel and the U.S. say Hamas has siphoned aid from the U.N.-run system, while U.N. officials say there is no evidence of systematic diversion. The U.N. says the new system does not meet Gaza’s needs, allows Israel to control who gets aid and risks further mass displacement as people move closer to the sites.

Two are in the southernmost city of Rafah — now mostly uninhabited — and all three are in Israeli military zones that are off limits to independent media.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says there has been no violence in or around the distribution points. It has warned people to stay on designated routes and recently paused delivery to discuss safety measures with the military.

Hamas started the war with its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel as Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage. The militants still hold 53 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s military campaign has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It says women and children make up most of the dead but doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population, often multiple times.

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Magdy reported from Cairo.

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Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war