Israeli forces kill 69 Palestinians in Gaza, including 29 seeking aid

At least 47 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire across Gaza on Wednesday, including 11 people who were waiting for aid trucks, Palestinian health officials say, the latest carnage hitting people desperate to secure food for their hungry families.

The latest incidence of the daily killing of Palestinian aid seekers in recent weeks took place early on Wednesday on Salah al-Din Street near the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera. More than 100 others were injured in the attack, they said.In other deadly Israeli strikes across Gaza, eight people were killed, and others injured, in an air strike on a home in the Zeitoun neighbourhood south of Gaza City, medical sources told Al Jazeera.

Eight more people were killed, and others injured, in Israeli strikes on tents of displaced people in al-Mawasi camp in Gaza’s south, medical sources told Al Jazeera. The victims included a woman and two children, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Another strike took place on the Maghazi camp in central Gaza, news agencies reported, citing medics. Wafa reported that 10 people, including a husband, wife and children from a single family, were killed in the strike.

Hamas condemned Israel’s assault on residential areas across the enclave, as well as its targeting of aid seekers at distribution points managed by the contentious US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

“The systematic abuse of innocent civilians, the escalation of massacres, the targeting of the starving, forced evictions, and the shrinking of areas the occupation claims are ‘safe’” amount to war crimes, the group said. Israel’s attacks are “part of the brutal war of extermination that has been ongoing for nearly 20 months”, it added.The Israeli military, when asked for comment, told the Reuters news agency that it was looking into the reported deaths of people waiting for food aid.

Regarding the other reported strikes, it claimed it was “operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities” and taking “feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm”, Reuters reported.

‘He went to get a bag of flour’
The GHF began distributing a trickle of food aid in Gaza at the end of May after Israel partially lifted a nearly three-month total blockade on food, medicines and other essential items, leading to fears of famine for the population of 2.3 million. No other aid has been allowed in by Israel, which in effect has kept the punishing blockade in place.