Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli fire killed at least 25 people, including 15 who had gathered near an aid distribution site, AFP reports.

Civil defence official Mohammad al-Mughayyir told AFP that 15 people were killed and 60 wounded, while waiting for aid in central Gaza’s Netzarim corridor, where thousands of people have gathered daily in the hope of receiving rations.

The Israeli army told AFP it was “looking into” the reports.

Witness Bassam Abu Shaar said thousands of people had gathered overnight in the hope of receiving aid at the US- and Israeli-backed distribution site when it opened in the morning.

“Around 1am (3am PKT on Thursday), they started shooting at us. The gunfire intensified from tanks, aircraft and quadcopter bombs,” he told AFP by phone.

He said the size of the crowd had made it impossible for people to escape the Israeli fire near Shuhada Junction, and dead and wounded were left lying on the ground within walking distance of the distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.