Israeli fire kills 6 Gazans awaiting aid

Israeli fire killed six Palestinians and wounded dozens of others as crowds of residents awaited aid trucks in Gaza City last night, Ministry of Health officials said today according to Reuters.
Palestinians were rushing to get aid supplies at the Kuwait Roundabout in northern Gaza City late yesterday evening when Israeli forces opened fire, residents and health officials said. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.

In Al-Nuseirat camp, in the central Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials said eight people were killed in an Israeli air strike that hit an aid distribution centre today.

In Deir Al-Balah, also in central Gaza, an Israeli missile hit a house, killing nine people, Palestinian medics said. Residents said Israeli aerial and ground bombardments continued overnight on areas across the enclave including in Rafah in the south, where over a million displaced people are sheltering.

The Gaza Ministry of Health said today Israeli military strikes across Gaza Strip had killed 69 Palestinians and wounded 110 others over the past 24 hours.

With the war now in its sixth month, the UN has warned that at least 576,000 people in Gaza – one quarter of the population – are on the brink of famine and global pressure has been growing on Israel to allow more aid into the enclave.

A ship carrying aid is currently approaching Gaza in a pilot trial of maritime delivery, that is expected to be followed up by a US military effort to set up a dock on Gaza’s coast that will enable distribution of up to two million meals a day.

While welcoming aid ships, Palestinian and UN officials say maritime deliveries are not a substitute for sending aid through land crossings.

READ: 5 killed as Israeli forces shell aid distribution centre in Gaza