UN agency says 'countless' people killed while awaiting aid in Gaza

A large number of starving people in the Gaza Strip have been killed by Israeli fire while waiting for UN aid trucks, the Rome-based World Food Programme (WFP) said on Sunday.

Shortly after crossing through the northern Zikim crossing into Gaza, a 25 WFP truck convoy encountered large crowds of civilians waiting to access food supplies, the UN agency said on X.

"As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire."

The incident resulted in the loss of "countless lives" with many more suffering critical injuries, WFP said.

"These people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation. This terrible incident underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which humanitarian operations are forced to be conducted in Gaza."

Local health authorities reported 67 Palestinians were killed, while Palestinian news agency WAFA reported 58 dead and at least 60 injured.

WFP said called for the protection of all civilians and aid workers delivering life-saving assistance.

"Shootings near humanitarian missions, convoys and food distributions must stop immediately. Any violence involving civilians seeking humanitarian aid is completely unacceptable."

Gaza's hunger crisis had reached new levels of desperation, WFP said as it reiterated calls for a ceasefire.

"An agreed ceasefire is long overdue. All hostages should be released, and humanitarians should be able to reach the civilian population in Gaza with critical food supplies in a consistent, predictable, orderly and safe manner - wherever they are across the Gaza Strip."