Israel strikes kill 12 in north Gaza aid queue

Palestinians gather to buy bread from a bakery, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday. REUTERS

Gaza’s civil defence agency said 12 people were killed Friday by Israeli drone strikes that hit a group of Palestinians waiting to receive aid in the territory’s north.

The drones struck near the Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City, said agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal.

“Civil defence teams retrieved 12 martyrs and several injured individuals after Israeli drone strikes targeted a group of citizens and a vehicle waiting for aid,” he said.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

A witness to the strike, Mustafa Abu Aita, said a crowd had been waiting for aid to arrive.

“They struck a small white bus with a missile, and another missile hit the people standing on the road, resulting in martyrs and injuries,” Aita told AFP.

“People fled the area, and ambulances came to transport the martyrs and the injured.”

The Israeli military has come under strong criticism for its operation in north Gaza, where tens of thousands of civilians are trapped.