Gaza rescuers say 30 killed by Israel fire

GAZA CITY: Gaza's civil defence agency said 30 people were killed by Israeli fire in the Palestinian territory on Wednesday, including 11 who were seeking aid.

The war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel has ravaged the Gaza Strip, with severe shortages of food, fuel and clean water.

Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 11 people were killed and more than 100 wounded "after the occupation forces opened fire and launched several shells... at thousands of citizens" who had gathered to queue for food in central Gaza.

In early March, Israel imposed a total aid blockade on Gaza amid deadlock in truce negotiations, only partially easing restrictions in late May.

Since then, chaotic scenes and a string of deadly shootings have occurred near areas where Palestinians have gathered in hope of receiving aid.

The civil defence agency said another 19 people were killed in three Israeli strikes on Wednesday, which it said targeted houses and a tent for displaced people.

When asked for comment by AFP, the Israeli military said it was "looking into" the reports.

Israeli restrictions on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency.

The UN humanitarian office OCHA said on Monday that its partners "continue to warn of the risk of famine in Gaza, amid catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity".

The civil defence agency reported that at least 53 people were killed on Tuesday, as they gathered near an aid centre in the southern city of Khan Yunis hoping to receive flour.

After Israel eased its blockade, the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing aid in late May, but its operations have been marred by chaotic scenes and dozens of deaths.

In a statement on Tuesday, the organisation said that "to date, not a single incident has occurred at or in the surrounding vicinity of GHF sites nor has an incident occurred during our operating hours".

UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.

The Hamas attack which triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to Israeli official figures.

The Gaza health ministry said on Tuesday that 5,194 people have been killed since Israel resumed major operations in the territory on March 18, ending a two-month truce.

The overall death toll in Gaza since the war broke out has reached 55,493 people, according to the health ministry.