At least 21 killed by Israeli gunfire near Gaza aid site, health ministry says

The shooting occurred near an aid site outside Rafah, health officials said.

LONDON -- At least 21 people were killed and 179 people were injured after Israeli forces opened fire near an aid distribution site to the west of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

In a statement posted to X, the Israel Defense Forces said, "At this stage, there are no known casualties from IDF gunfire" within the site. "The matter is still under investigation," it added.

Local witnesses cited by The Associated Press suggested that the shooting occurred around 1,000 yards from the aid site, which is run by the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

In a Sunday morning statement issued before the latest report of shooting emerged, the GHF said aid "was again distributed today without incident."

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.