ISTANBUL

Israeli forces killed three Palestinians and wounded 46 on Tuesday at an aid distribution center in Rafah in southern Gaza, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.

The office accused the Israeli army of committing a massacre against civilians suffering from hunger, saying the victims had gathered in areas known as “buffer zones” where Israel had set up aid centers. Seven people remain missing, the office said in a statement.

Earlier, the office reported that several Palestinians were wounded when the Israeli army fired into crowds of starving Gazans as they stormed a US-backed aid distribution facility in Rafah.

“The Israeli occupation’s plan for aid distribution in the so-called buffer zone has failed disastrously,” it said in a statement.

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.