Israeli gunfire and strikes kill 42 in Gaza as many of the dead sought aid
Israel's military said it fired warning shots to distance a crowd 'in response to an immediate threat' and it was not aware of any casualties.
Those killed in the strikes include four people in an apartment building in Gaza City among others, hospital staff and the ambulance service said.
The strikes come as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have hit a standstill after the US and Israel recalled their negotiating teams on Thursday, throwing the future of the talks into further uncertainty.
Palestinians mourn during the funeral of people who were killed while trying to reach aid trucks (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP/PA)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday his government was considering 'alternative options' to ceasefire talks with Hamas.
His comments came as a Hamas official said negotiations were expected to resume next week and portrayed the recall of the Israeli and American delegations as a pressure tactic.
Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks alongside the US, said the pause was only temporary and that talks would resume, though they did not say when.
The United Nations (UN) and experts have said that Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition.
While Israel's army says it is allowing aid into the enclave with no limit on the number of trucks that can enter, the UN says it is hampered by Israeli military restrictions on its movements and incidents of criminal looting.
The Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the same crossing.
During the shootings on Friday night, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close, they realised it was from Israel's tanks.
That is when the army started firing on people, he told The Associated Press.
He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed.
'We went because there is no food… and nothing was distributed,' he said.
Marwa Barakat (centre) mourns during the funeral of her son Fahd Abu Hajeb (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP/PA)
Israel is facing increased international pressure to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
More then two dozen Western-aligned countries and more than 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out.
The charities and rights groups said even their own staff were struggling to get enough food.
For the first time in months Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by Jordan.
A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote in a newspaper article on Saturday that the UK was 'working urgently' with Jordan to get British aid into Gaza.
Aid group the World Central Kitchen said on Friday it was resuming limited cooking operations in Deir al-Balah after being forced to halt due to a lack of food supplies.
It said it is trying to serve 60,000 meals daily through its field kitchen and partner community kitchens, less than half of what it has cooked over the previous month.
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The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Released Israeli-Argentinian hostage fights for brother still held by Hamas
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Reuters
22 minutes ago
- Reuters
Ministers gather at UN for delayed meeting on Israel, Palestinians
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The Herald Scotland
35 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Starmer told to demand Trump ends tariffs on Scotch whisky
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The Republican leader arrived around 11am at the coastal course in Ayrshire and played golf with his son, Eric. Police were seen patrolling the golf course as associates played earlier in the morning before a huge motorcade of golf caddies arrived around 10.40am. Dressed in a white baseball cap branded 'USA', Mr Trump waved at journalists who shouted questions at him as he teed off. Supporters of the president carrying placards stood in the dunes urging him, "Don't trust Starmer", also shouting, "We love you Trump". Three people gathered to support the Republican leader, carrying a hand-painted placard which read: "President Trump don't trust Starmer". It branded the Prime Minister an explicit term, and was jointly held by a man dressed in black, who wore an Adidas baseball cap. A woman holding the sign wore a red baseball cap reading "Make America Great Again" with fake hair attached and appeared to laugh as she watched. Another female supporter dressed in a floral anorak, held an American flag and wore a baseball cap reading "Make England Great Again". She carried a smaller sign that also branded Starmer an explicit term. A female well-wisher could be heard repeatedly shouting "We love you Trump" and "thank you". Someone else shouted: "Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump". Meanwhile, a man was arrested at Prestwick Airport on Friday evening for allegedly carrying a placard calling [[Donald Trump]] an offensive word. The man, aged 20, was arrested next to the military airport in Ayrshire where Air Force One landed "for abusive behaviour and refusing to stop", according to Police Scotland. The force said on Saturday that no arrests had been made, although a 50-year-old woman was issued with a recorded police warning in connection with alleged threatening behaviour at a Stop Trump Scotland protest outside the US consulate in Edinburgh on Saturday. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "A 20-year-old man was arrested next to Prestwick Airport on Friday for abusive behaviour and refusing to stop. "He was given a recorded police warning." The UK Government was approached for comment.
