At least 84 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip as desperate Palestinians continue to seek food amid an ongoing hunger crisis.
Among those killed since dawn on Thursday, 59 were in Gaza City and the north and 16 others were waiting for aid assistance near the Netzarim Corridor, which splits north and south Gaza.
Starving Palestinians have gathered in the area daily to receive packages from the United States- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which the United Nations has condemned for its “weaponisation” of aid.
Bassam Abu Shaar, who witnessed the Israeli attack at the aid site, told the AFP news agency that people had gathered overnight in the hope of receiving food.
“Around 1am [22:00 GMT Wednesday], they started shooting at us. The gunfire intensified from tanks, aircraft and quadcopter bombs,” he told AFP by phone.
“We couldn’t help them or even escape ourselves,” he said, adding that the size of the crowd had made it impossible for people to flee Israeli fire near the Shuhada Junction.
In recent weeks, Israeli attacks on Palestinians attempting to receive food aid have increased, killing dozens of people.
