ANKARA
At least 27 Palestinians were killed early Saturday in a series of Israeli airstrikes and shootings across the Gaza Strip, including 16 people who were waiting for humanitarian aid, sources said.
According to medical sources, 12 bodies were transferred to the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after Israeli forces opened fire at the aid distribution area along the Netzarim Corridor.
Three Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid near distribution centers on Al-Tina Street in southern Khan Younis were shot dead by Israeli forces.
In the town of Al-Zawaida, an Israeli airstrike targeted a family home killing five members of the same family including three children.
Another Palestinian was killed and several others wounded in a separate Israeli strike on a civilian gathering also in Al-Zawaida.
Meanwhile, three members of the same family were killed and others wounded when an Israeli drone dropped a bomb on tents sheltering displaced families near the Industrial Junction in northern Khan Younis.
Separately, two women were killed in strike on a tent in northwest of Khan Younis.
Overnight, Israeli forces continued to demolish homes and facilities in the eastern neighborhoods of Khan Younis, witnesses said.
In Rafah, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians waiting for aid near a distribution center operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, killing one and injuring 25 others.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombing has destroyed the enclave and led to severe food shortages and deaths by starvation.
US envoy Steve Witkoff said he spent a few hours in Gaza on Friday to give US President Donald Trump “a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.”