RAFAH: At least 21 people were killed on Sunday as they went to receive aid from an Israeli-backed foundation in the Gaza Strip, according to a nearby hospital run by the Red Cross that received the bodies.
Officials at the hospital said another 175 people were wounded, without saying who opened fire on them. An Associated Press reporter saw dozens of people being treated at the hospital.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation 's distribution of aid has been marred by chaos, and multiple witnesses have said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the delivery sites. Before Sunday, at least six people had been killed and more than 50 wounded according to local health officials.
The foundation says the private security contractors guarding its sites did not fire on the crowds, while the Israeli military has acknowledged firing warning shots.
The foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an earlier statement, it said it distributed 16 truckloads of aid early Sunday “without incident.” It dismissed what it referred to as “false reporting about deaths, mass injuries and chaos.”