At least 31 dead and 200 wounded in Gaza after Israeli fire near a food distribution center

The Gaza Civil Defense Agency said at least 31 people were killed and around 200 wounded Wednesday when Israeli troops opened fire on a group waiting to enter a food distribution center.

"We have transported at least 31 martyrs and some 200 wounded, as a result of Israeli tank and drone fire against thousands of citizens (...) when they were going to receive food from the American aid center ," Civil Defense spokesman Mahmud Basal told AFP.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to AFP 's questions.

Restrictions on the press in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing the ground mean that AFP cannot independently verify the figures announced by the Civil Defense agency.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported 20 dead.

Basal said thousands of Palestinians had been gathering since 2 a.m. (11 p.m. Tuesday) hoping to reach the distribution center run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is supported by the U.S. and Israeli governments.

"Israeli tanks fired several times, and around 5:30 a.m. they intensified their fire, coinciding with the heavy drone fire against civilians," he explained.

Since the implementation of the new GHF-controlled distribution model, deaths are reported almost every day while waiting near the new GHF-controlled food distribution points guarded by Israeli forces.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 163 people died and 1,495 were injured while collecting aid.

International organizations and the UN, which used to be the primary distributors of aid and now play a secondary role, have criticized the initiative for being illegitimate and forcing Palestinians to move into military zones.

Israel allows these organizations to enter Gaza a few trucks, but far from the 600 per day that the UN believes should be allowed to cover the needs of the 2.1 million Gazans.

At the same time, the foundation distributes at four locations, three in the south and a fourth in the center, but these locations open only occasionally and irregularly due to security concerns and the fact that the aid they carry runs out quickly.

On Wednesday, the GHF reported on its social media that the Tel Al Sultan distribution center in southern Gaza is closed to food distribution and has asked Gazans not to go there.

In addition, COGAT, the Israeli military agency responsible for allowing aid into Gaza, reported that on Tuesday it allowed 108 aid trucks belonging to the UN and the international community to enter Gaza .