ReutersAt least 12 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while waiting for aid in central Gaza, according to rescuers and medics.
Reports say the group was killed by gunfire near an aid distribution site run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) on Thursday.
The GHF denied there were any incidents near its site. The Israeli military told Reuters that “suspects” had attempted to approach forces in the area of Netzarim, and that soldiers had fired warning shots. It said it was unaware of any injuries.
The incident is the latest in almost daily shootings near such aid sites in Gaza.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since late May, when the GHF took over aid distribution in Gaza in an attempt by Israel to bypass the UN as the main supplier of aid.
Nearly all the casualties in Gaza in recent days have been linked to incidents around the delivery of aid, rather than Israeli strikes on Hamas targets.
Gaza’s health ministry said on Thursday that since midnight 12 people had been killed while seeking aid, without giving further details.
The Hamas-run civil defence agency – Gaza’s main emergency service – told AFP news agency that a group was killed by Israeli gunfire near the Netzarim corridor, where thousands of people have been gathering daily seeking aid.
Civil defence official Mohammad al-Mughayyir said 15 people were killed and 60 injured in the incident. Israel does not allow international news organisations, including the BBC, into Gaza, making it difficult to verify figures.
AFP said it had spoken to witness Bassam Abu Shaar, who said thousands of people had gathered overnight at the GHF-backed distribution site, and that Israeli forces opened fire at about 01:00 (22:00 GMT).
He said the size of the crowd had made it impossible for people to escape the gunfire, adding: “We couldn’t help them or even escape ourselves.”
The GHF however told the BBC: “There were no incidents anywhere near our site today.”
“This is yet again another example of false and misleading reporting by the GHM [Gaza health ministry].”
The BBC has contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for a response.
According to Reuters, the Israeli military said people had approached its forces in a threatening manner.
In a Telegram statement on Wednesday, Hamas called for the UN and its humanitarian agencies to be the sole distributors of aid in Gaza.
The UN and other aid groups refuse to co-operate with the new aid system led by the GHF. The UN says the system contravenes the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
They also warn that Gaza’s population faces catastrophic levels of hunger after an 11-week total Israeli blockade that was partially eased a month ago.
The US and Israel say GHF’s system will prevent aid being stolen by Hamas, which the group denies doing.
Separately on Thursday, civil defence teams recovered dozens of bodies from various parts of the Gaza Strip following reports of Israeli shelling.
Seven people were reportedly killed when a tent sheltering displaced civilians was hit in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
Eyewitnesses and relatives of the victims told the BBC that those killed were a couple and their five children from the Asaliya family.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 55,637 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
