GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that 26 people were killed by Israeli gunfire and air strikes on Tuesday, including 14 waiting near an aid distribution site.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that eight died from Israeli gunfire near Khan Yunis, while six more were killed and 21 injured in central Gaza while awaiting food aid.
The Israeli army stated it is investigating the incidents. Media restrictions in Gaza make independent verification difficult.
Thousands gather daily at aid points, including those run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, where chaotic scenes and reports of shootings are frequent.
Bassal confirmed five deaths from an air strike on a tent in Al-Mawasi, a supposed safe zone. “They say it’s safe, but people die while obtaining aid,“ said Adham Younes, who lost a relative.
Mahmud Younes, another witness, described finding injured women covered in blood.
Six more were killed near Gaza City, and one near Khan Yunis. Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed striking an Israeli command centre in the Morag Axis. – AFP
