5 Palestinians reportedly killed en route to aid sites

At least five people were killed and others wounded by gunfire while on their way to aid distribution points in Gaza run by an Israeli and U.S.-backed group, according to media reports on Sunday citing Palestinian health officials and witnesses.

Palestinian witnesses said Israeli forces started firing around a kilometer from a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the city of Rafah, the Associated Press reported. Four bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in south Gaza.

Israel’s military told the AP it fired warning shots at “suspects” who approached its forces and ignored warnings.

Al-Awda Hospital said in a statement that it had received the body of a 42-year-old man and 29 people wounded near another GHF aid distribution point. The military said it fired warning shots in the area but did not see any casualties.

A GHF spokesperson told the AP there was no violence in or around its distribution sites.

At least 31 people were killed and more than 150 injured last Sunday when civilians traveling to an aid distribution center in Gaza were fired upon, according to media reports citing local health authorities and witnesses.

The incidents highlight ongoing challenges in delivering aid to Gaza despite Israel’s agreement last month to ease a nearly three-month-long blockade on the territory.

The U.S. and Israeli-backed GHF has taken the lead in coordinating humanitarian assistance, but it has faced criticism from United Nations officials, who allege that its operations have contributed to the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.