Israeli attacks near Gaza aid centres kill 26

Gaza's civil defence agency on July 19 said Israeli gunfire killed 26 people and wounded more than 100 near two aid centres, in the latest deaths of Palestinians seeking food.

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GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories -

Deaths of people waiting for handouts in huge crowds near food points in Gaza have become a regular occurrence, with the territory's authorities frequently blaming Israeli fire.

But the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is the main distributor of aid in the territory, has accused militant group Hamas of fomenting unrest and shooting at civilians.

The Israeli military said it was "looking into" the latest reports when contacted by AFP.

Civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the deaths happened near a site south-west of Khan Younis and another centre north-west of Rafah, both in the south, attributing the deaths to "Israeli gunfire".

One eyewitness said he was heading to the Al-Tina area of Khan Younis before dawn with five of his relatives to try to get food when Israeli soldiers started shooting.

"My relatives and I were unable to get anything," Mr Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, told AFP.