Local health officials said Israeli forces killed six Palestinians near an aid distribution center in southern Gaza on Saturday night, the fourth such incident in a week.
The Palestinians were killed in west Rafah “as citizens gathered in the hope of receiving aid near the distribution point,” according to Marwan Al-Hams, director of field hospitals for the Palestinian Health Ministry.
None of the victims have been identified at this time. NBC News was not immediately able to verify the number of casualties. The World Health Organization has said it considers the Health Ministry’s data reliable.
Displaced Palestinians walk along a road to receive humanitarian aid packages in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on June 5. AFP – Getty Images
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces acknowledged the incident, saying that troops fired “warning shots” on “several suspects” in the Tel al-Sultan refugee camp who they felt posed a threat.
“Despite prior warnings that the area is an active combat zone during nighttime hours, several suspects attempted to approach IDF troops operating in the Tel al-Sultan area overnight, in a manner that posed a threat to the troops,” the IDF said. “The troops called out to the suspects to drive them away, but as they continued advancing in a way that endangered the troops, the soldiers responded with warning shots.”
The IDF did not specify what threat the “suspects” posed and did not take accountability for the reported deaths, but said it “is aware of the reports of casualties.”
Palestinians mourn relatives who were killed by Israeli fire as they gathered near a U.S.-backed aid center in the southern Gaza Strip on June 3.AFP – Getty Images
This is the fourth incident in a week where local health officials said Palestinians were killed near aid distribution centers.
On Sunday, more than 30 people were killed in Rafah and hundreds were injured, according to local health officials and aid workers. Speaking with NBC News’ crew on the ground, four witnesses said they came under fire from the air and on the ground while they were waiting to collect aid near a distribution site.
An Israeli military official told NBC News that troops fired “warning shots” at “several suspects” about a half-mile from the aid distribution center, calling reports of casualties at the site “false claims.”
On Monday, three Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured when Israeli forces opened fire at a food distribution site in Rafah, Gaza health officials said.
The next day, at least 27 people were killed in the early morning after IDF troops opened fire near an aid distribution point in Rafah, according to local health officials. More than 160 others were injured, including a 5-year-old girl.
Video captured by NBC News’ crew on the ground showed people, some dead and others wounded, being rushed to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
The IDF said its troops fired “warning fire” at people who they believed posed a threat to them about 0.3 miles from an aid distribution site in Rafah, adding that it was aware of and looking into reports of casualties. It did not elaborate on what threat those people posed.
