Palestinians say at least 4 killed by Israeli fire near aid site. Israel says it fired warning shots

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) - Palestinian health officials and witnesses say at least four people were killed and others were wounded by Israeli fire around a kilometer (half-mile) from an aid distribution point in the Gaza Strip run by an Israeli and U.S.-backed group. Israel’s military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces.

The bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis, which confirmed the toll. Palestinian witnesses said Israeli forces had fired on them at a roundabout in the nearby city of Rafah as they went to get food from a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people it said were suspects who had advanced toward its forces and ignored warnings to turn away. It said the shooting occurred in an area in southern Gaza that is considered an active combat zone at night.

The GHF did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel's military has said it fired warning shots or, in some instances, near individuals approaching its forces.

Witnesses said Sunday’s shooting occurred at around 6 a.m., when they were told the site would open. Many had headed toward it early to try and get desperately needed food before the crowds.

Adham Dahman, 30, who was at Nasser Hospital with a bandage on his chin, said a tank had fired toward them. "We didn't know how to escape,” he said. “This is trap for us, not aid."

Zahed Ben Hassan, another witness, said someone next to him was shot in the head. He said that he and others pulled the body from the scene and managed to flee to the hospital.

"They said it was a safe area from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. … So why did they start shooting at us?" he said. "There was light out, and they have their cameras and can clearly see us."

The hubs are set up inside Israeli military zones - where independent media have no access - and are run by GHF, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups.

Israel and the United States accuse the militant Hamas group of stealing aid, while the U.N. denies there is any systematic diversion. The U.N. says the new system is unable to meet mounting needs and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon by determining who can receive it and forcing people to relocate to where the aid sites are positioned.

The U.N. system has meanwhile struggled to deliver aid - even after Israel eased its complete blockade of Gaza last month. U.N. officials say their efforts are hindered by Israeli military restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting.

Experts warned earlier this year that Gaza was at critical risk of famine if Israel did not lift its blockade and halt its military campaign, which Israeli officials have said will continue until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile.

Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Talks mediated by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been deadlocked for months.

Hamas started the war with its massive attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinians militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 people hostage. They are still holding 55 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel has recovered dozens of bodies, including three in recent days, and rescued eight living hostages over the course of the war.

Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It has said women and children make up most of the dead but does not say how many civilians or combatants were killed. Israel says it has killed over 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population. The territory’s roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all of Gaza’s food production capabilities have been destroyed.