At least 13 Palestinians were killed and around 200 wounded on Wednesday when Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd gathered near an aid distribution point in central Gaza, medical sources said.

Staff at al-Awda Hospital reported that the shooting occurred in the morning as hundreds of civilians waited for humanitarian aid. It marks yet another deadly incident involving aid seekers in the besieged enclave.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 57 people were killed under similar circumstances on Tuesday, underscoring the rising toll among civilians desperate for food and supplies.

In a separate incident, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said one of its aid buses was attacked, resulting in the deaths of at least five aid workers. 

The group blamed Hamas for the assault, though the armed group has not issued a statement in response to the allegation.

Wednesday’s attack adds to the devastating human toll from the ongoing war. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 55,104 Palestinians have been killed and 127,394 wounded since Israel launched its military campaign in response to the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.

Israel says the October assault killed 1,139 people and saw more than 200 taken hostage.

The conflict, now in its eighth month, has led to widespread humanitarian collapse in Gaza, with limited access to food, water, and medical supplies, and repeated reports of deadly incidents involving civilians attempting to access aid.

Source: Al Jazeera

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