Local health officials said Israeli gunfire and air strikes killed at least 60 Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, most of whom were near aid sites operated by the U.S. and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the Enclave Center.
Medical officials at Shifa and Al-Quds Hospital said at least 25 people were killed and dozens were injured near Jewish settlements before dawn.
Israeli troops, which have been fighting Hamas militants since October 2023, said their troops fired warning shots at a group of suspects as they posed a threat to troops in the Nezarim Corridor area.
It said: “Although warning that the area is an active combat zone.
Later Wednesday, health officials at Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip said at least 14 people were killed by Israeli gunfire as they approached another GHF site in Rafah.
The foundation said it was not aware of Wednesday’s events, but added that it was working closely with the Israeli authorities to ensure safe access and that it is crucial for Palestinians to closely follow the instructions.
“Ultimately, the solution will be more aided, which will create more certainty and less urgency,” it said in response to a Reuters question.
“There is not enough food to feed everyone in Gaza. Our current focus is to safely feed as many people as possible under the constraints of a highly volatile environment.”
GHF said in a statement it allocated 2.5 million meals on Wednesday, the largest single-day delivery since the operation began operations, which is more than 16 million meals offered since operations began in late May.
Gaza's Ministry of Health said that since then, 163 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,000 people have been injured in trying to obtain food boxes.
The United Nations condemned the murder and refused to provide assistance through the foundation, which used Israeli military backups to private contractors say it was a violation of humanitarian standards.
Elsewhere in Gaza on Wednesday, its health ministry said at least 11 people were killed by Israeli gunfire and strikes across the coastal enclave.
Israeli authorities said that 20 months ago, the war broke out 20 months ago, 251 hostages were taken on October 7, 2023, and about 1,200 people were killed.
Since then, Israel's military campaign has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians and flattened most of the densely populated areas, home to more than 2 million people, according to Gaza's health authorities. Most people are displaced and malnutrition is widespread.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that “significant progress” has been made in efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages, but the hope of proposing a deal is “too early”.
Two Hamas sources told Reuters they were not aware of any breakthroughs in the negotiations.
