UNITED NATIONS/GAZA — The Israeli army on Tuesday morning killed at least 51 Palestinians waiting for aid in Khan Younis, the southern Gaza Strip, Gaza-based health authorities said.

More than 200 others were injured — including 20 critically — in the Israeli attack near the Al-Tahlia roundabout in Khan Younis, where a large crowd had gathered in anticipation of a food aid distribution, health authorities said in a statement.

The authorities added that hospitals are struggling to cope with the large number of casualties, with emergency rooms, intensive care units, and operating theaters operating beyond capacity.

A video shared on social media showed around a dozen mangled bodies lying in a street. The Israeli military acknowledged firing in the area and said it was looking into the incident.

The incident was the latest in the nearly daily mass deaths of aid-seeking Palestinians in past weeks, including near sites operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Local health officials said at least 23 people were killed by Israeli gunfire on Monday as they approached a GHF aid distribution site in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

As the attacks on civilians continued, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Israeli authorities denied several humanitarian movements. Seven out of 17 attempts to coordinate such movements were denied on Monday, including for trucking water and removing solid waste.

Internet outage ends

The office said telecommunications cables in Gaza were repaired over the weekend, allowing internet services to resume after days of complete outage. The cutoff halted most aid operation communications and the ability of many Gazans to receive safety warnings and evacuation orders from the Israeli authorities.

The UN office said lifesaving aid must reach people in need as per humanitarian principles, and aid workers must be allowed to do their work.

On Sunday, aid workers said they were able to transport more than 50 Israel-approved truckloads of materials, but these await clearance to enter Gaza.

The UN office said its humanitarian partners continue to warn of the risk of famine in Gaza amid catastrophic levels of food insecurity. The partners provide support with whatever supplies remain available.

Prices in Gaza continue to skyrocket. The office said that last week in Gaza City, a 25 kg bag of flour was sold for 1,600 shekels ($450) at the commercial market.

Fuel stocks are at critically low levels. The UN office said more fuel is urgently needed for essential services, such as supplying water. In the south of Gaza, diesel supplies are almost running out.

Agencies - Xinhua