The Palestinians were shot and scores wounded as huge crowds assembled to try and get food from a new aid distribution center. An Israeli military official said soldiers fired warning shots.

Rescuers and residents say Israeli tanks opened fire on a crowd, but the aid distributor said reports were false.

Over 170 others were wounded on the way to a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution point in Rafah in the deadliest incident tied to a new U.S.-backed aid mechanism.