(LONDON) — Israeli troops shot and killed at least eight Palestinians near a humanitarian aid distribution center in the Rafah, Gaza, early Saturday, according to hospital officials and Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health.
The deadly shooting occurred at the Al-Alam roundabout near an aid center west of Rafah city at around 6 a.m. local time, according to the health ministry. The area is approximately 1 kilometer from an aid distribution center, which the Israel Defense Forces considers an active combat zone during the night when the site is closed.
The Israeli- and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — which is running aid distribution in Gaza — closed its aid distribution sites on Friday, without giving a date on when they would reopen. Palestinians in Gaza remain at risk of extreme starvation and famine, the United Nations and other aid groups have warned.
Since May 27, when the aid distribution centers were established, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more have been wounded while trying to collect food from the sites, Gaza’s Hamas-run Government Media Office said.
The Nasser Medical Complex received four out of the eight deceased victims from the incident so far, a source at the hospital told ABC News.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
The Israel Defense Forces said it “is aware of the reports of casualties.”
“Despite prior warnings that the area is an active combat zone during nighttime hours, several suspects attempted to approach IDF troops operating in the Tel al-Sultan area overnight (Saturday), in a manner that posed a threat to the troops,” the IDF told ABC News when asked for comment. “The troops called out to the suspects to drive them away, but as they continued advancing in a way that endangered the troops, the soldiers responded with warning shots.”
Reverend Dr. Johnnie Moore, the new chairman of GHF, told ABC News this week the organization “can’t control what happens outside” the distribution points and added that there have been incidents, “as one would expect, in a war, outside of our distribution sites.”
According to Moore, GHF — since it was set up 10 days ago — had distributed “10 million meals to Gazans, to thousands and thousands and thousands of people.” The GHF has not specified what it defines as a single “meal.”
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