Israeli soldiers kill 40 Palestinians at food aid hubs, say medics and officials

At least 40 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza have died in new shootings by Israeli forces, local medics and officials said yesterday, raising the total killed in the last two weeks in such incidents to more than 500.

- Jason Burke Malak A Tantesh Gaza

Though the fragile ceasefire declared between Israel and Iran has boosted hopes in Gaza that the 20-month-long war there might end soon, there were further Israeli airstrikes yesterday and reports of at least two instances of Israeli troops opening fire on civilians seeking humanitarian assistance.

Hatim abu Rajliya, 24, said he had been waiting since 5am for food to be distributed from a hub that was set up near Rafah by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a secretive private organisation that started operating last month with Israeli and US backing.

"There is a sheltered place where we stay and take cover from bullets and shrapnel near the hub in Shakoush [a destroyed neighbourhood of Rafah]," said Abu Rajliya. "Some people there warned us not to move forward... Shortly after, Israeli military vehicles advanced toward us and began firing bullets and shells directly at the civilians waiting for aid. Many people around us and in nearby areas were wounded. We tried to pull them into our shelter. Some were already dead, others were bleeding out.

"Among those we pulled in was my cousin. He had been shot in the head, the bullet tore his skull open. We carried him in an empty flour sack, running under gunfire.

"We eventually found a motorised cart and got him to the Red Cross hospital. They told us he should be transferred to Nasser medical complex [in Khan Younis], where his condition is now stable."