Gaza: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent investigation after Israeli troops reportedly shot and killed at least 27 Palestinian civilians in the southern city of Rafah. The incident occurred at an aid distribution site operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), with dozens more wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, health officials reported that the shooting began in the early hours of Tuesday, targeting civilians who were waiting for aid. The Gaza government’s media office condemned the actions as “horrific, intentionally repeated crimes” around aid distribution centers. The Israeli military acknowledged the incident but claimed that the troops fired after the civilians strayed from a designated route and ignored warning shots. The military described the victims as “suspects” posing a threat to soldiers, although they did not specify the nature of the threat.

Meanwhile, the U.N. human rights office stated that impeding access to food and relief for Gaza civilians might constitute a war crime and described the attacks as unconscionable. Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN high commissioner for Human Rights, noted that this marked the third consecutive day of fatalities around the aid distribution site managed by the GHF. The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which began in October 2023, has resulted in the deaths of at least 54,418 Palestinians and injuries to more than 124,000, as reported by the Health Ministry.