In Gaza, 34 killed in shootings near food distribution centres

At least 34 Palestinians were killed Monday in new shootings on the roads leading to Israeli and US-supported food distribution centres in the Gaza Strip, the local Health Ministry said.

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The toll was the deadliest yet in the near-daily shootings that have taken place as thousands of Palestinians move through Israeli military-controlled areas to reach the food centres.

As on previous days, witnesses said Israeli troops opened fire in an attempt to control crowds. The ministry says several hundred people have been killed and hundreds more wounded in such shootings since the centres, run by the private contractor Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, opened three weeks ago.

Israeli troops started firing as thousands of Palestinians massed around 4 am at the Flag Roundabout before the scheduled opening time of the Rafah food centre, according to Heba Jouda and Mohamed Abed, two Palestinians who were in the crowd.