War in Gaza: Did Israel's army shoot at a crowd?

More than 30 Palestinians were reportedly killed early Sunday morning while trying to collect aid packages in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent and Hamas -controlled health authorities. "Crowds were heading to a site in Rafah when Israeli forces opened fire," CNN quoted a Red Crescent medic as saying.

Palestinians reported on social media that they had been called by the Israeli side to move to the distribution point. About a kilometer away, chaotic scenes reportedly erupted due to the large number of people, and the army opened fire. Video footage and images show bodies on the street and in front of a hospital in Gaza. The images have not yet been verified.

"Rescue teams were unable to reach the area under Israeli control. Therefore, residents were forced to transport the victims to the field hospital by donkey cart," a Palestinian told the BBC. The Israeli army said Sunday morning that it "currently has no knowledge of any injuries caused by (Israeli military) fire inside the humanitarian aid distribution point. The matter is still under investigation." Israeli media showed video footage allegedly from a distribution point in Gaza, but no attacks were seen.

However, they are said to have taken place somewhat further away: According to media reports, thousands of people set off for the distribution site hours before sunrise. On the way there, they were allegedly ordered by Israeli forces to disperse and return later, according to witnesses told the AP news agency .

According to the report, Israeli forces opened fire as the crowd reached a roundabout about one kilometer away at around 3 a.m. Mohammed Abu Teaima, 33, said he saw Israeli soldiers fire into the crowd, killing his cousin and another woman as they walked toward the distribution point. He said his cousin was shot in the chest and died at the scene. Many others were wounded, including his brother-in-law.

The Palestinians were apparently on their way to a distribution site run by the Israeli- backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The private foundation hired several US security firms to guard the aid points. United Nations agencies and major aid organizations have refused to cooperate with the new system, arguing it violates humanitarian principles by allowing Israel to control who receives aid and forcing people to relocate to distribution sites. The GHF denied on Sunday that any deaths had occurred at the site, calling these "false reports" by Hamas. The organization said it had distributed 4.7 million meals in six days, including about 900,000 on Sunday.

Also on Sunday, another attempt to negotiate a ceasefire for Gaza failed. The US and Israel blamed Hamas, which, in turn, does not see the US as a "fair" negotiator. Israel and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had proposed a 60-day ceasefire and the exchange of 28 of the 58 hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip . In return, 1,200 Palestinian prisoners would be released.

Hamas demanded "changes" to the plan on Sunday, most notably guarantees that it would lead to a permanent ceasefire. A demand Israel has so far rejected. The obstacles to this have been the same for months. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could lose his far-right allies and his majority in the Knesset if he agrees to a long-term agreement. "The only ceasefire that needs to be concluded is a bullet in the head," said Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Minister of National Security. Hamas, on the other hand, refuses to hand over its weapons or send its leaders into exile. Several thousand Palestinians have demonstrated against the terrorist group in recent weeks.