At least 38 Palestinians were killed Monday in new shootings in areas of Israeli- and U.S.-supported food distribution centres in the south of the Gaza Strip, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said most of the dead were trying to reach the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) centre near the southern city of Rafah, though a few were on the roads to a newly opened hub on the outskirts of the nearby city of Khan Younis when the shootings took place.
The toll on Monday was the deadliest yet in the near-daily shootings that have taken place as thousands of Palestinians move through Israeli military-controlled areas to reach the food centres. Witnesses report that Israeli troops opened fire at Palestinians around 4 AM today (June 16) in an attempt to control the crowds.
There was no immediate comment by the Israeli military on Monday’s deaths. It has said in previous instances that troops fired warning shots at what it calls suspects approaching their positions. Experts have warned that Israel’s ongoing military campaign and restrictions on the entry of aid have put Gaza, which is home to some 2 million Palestinians, at risk of famine.