31 killed while heading to Gaza aid hub, officials and witnesses say – National [Video]

At least 31 people were killed and over 170 were wounded on Sunday while on their way to receive food in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials and multiple witnesses. The witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds around a kilometer (1,000 yards) from a new aid site run by an Israeli-backed foundation.

Israel’s military said in a statement that its forces did not fire at civilians near or within the site, citing an initial inquiry.

The foundation — promoted by Israel and the United States — said in a statement it delivered aid “without incident.” It has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent media has no access.

“Aid distribution has become a death trap,” the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, said in a statement.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation ’s aid distribution …