GAZA CITY, Palestine

Israeli forces killed 10 starving Palestinians and injured 62 more over two days while they gathered in Rafah to receive humanitarian aid, a senior Gaza government official said on Wednesday.

The Israeli military shot and killed 10 Palestinian civilians and injured 62 others over two days after directing them to collect humanitarian aid at centers set up in southern Gaza’s Rafah city, Director Gaza Media Office Ismail al-Thawabta told Anadolu.

Israeli forces invited starving Palestinians to come and receive aid near so-called aid distribution centers in Rafah on Tuesday and Wednesday, but opened fire, killing 10 of them and injuring another 62, he explained.

On Tuesday, thousands of hungry Palestinians stormed aid distribution centers set up by Israel in what are referred to as “buffer zones” in southern Gaza. According to the media office, Israeli forces intervened by opening fire on the crowds, resulting in multiple injuries.

Israel has kept Gaza crossings closed to food, medical, and humanitarian aid since March 2, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis in the enclave, according to government, human rights, and international reports.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing over 54,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.