GAZA CITY: The Gaza civil defence agency said that 10 people were killed and more than 30 wounded Monday when Israeli troops fired at people trying to enter food distribution centres.
The Israeli military acknowledged that it had fired “warning shots” during incidents near food centres.
There have been a series of deadly incidents since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation opened aid distribution points in the Palestinian territory on May 27, with Israel facing mounting international protests over humanitarian conditions.
Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP that Israeli forces fired “several times” at people at the Al-Alam roundabout, close to the GHF distribution centre at Rafah.
He said six Palestinians heading for the aid centre were killed in one incident and four more about eight hours later.
The Israeli military told AFP that “several individuals attempted to approach IDF troops operating in the Rafah area, posing a threat to the troops”.
“IDF troops fired warning shots to distance the individuals. The IDF is aware of reports regarding several individuals injured, the details are under review,“ a spokesman added.
Bassal said that at another GHF centre south of Gaza city, 31 people were wounded by Israeli gunfire in a separate incident early in the morning.
The Israeli military spokesman said “thousands of Palestinian civilians attempted to break into the aid distribution center, posing a threat to IDF troops operating in the area of the Netzarim Corridor”.
“The troops called out to the suspects in an attempt to distance them, but as they continued advancing in a way that endangered the troops, the soldiers responded with warning shots.”
The Israeli military was not aware of reports of wounded, the spokesman added.
Because of restrictions on media accessing Gaza since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks that set off the latest Gaza war, AFP is not able to independently verify tolls given by the Gaza civil defence agency in the Hamas-run territory.
