CNN
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at least 20 155 people died. The Palestinian enclave's health ministry said he was wounded by shelling on Thursday while waiting for food aid in Gaza.
Mohammad Ghulab, a doctor in the emergency department at Al Shifa Hospital, said the death toll is expected to rise further as casualties are still being transferred to hospitals.
Earlier, witnesses at the scene said dozens of people were killed, and video showed dozens of bodies at the scene.
The Health Ministry said the incident was the result of “Israeli occupation forces targeting a gathering of civilians waiting for humanitarian aid to quench their thirst at the Kuwait roundabout in the Gaza Strip.”
“Medical teams are unable to cope with the volume and type of injured people reaching hospitals in northern Gaza due to weak medical and human resources,” the ministry said.
CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment.
Witnesses said the area was hit by what sounded like tank or artillery fire.
Gaza civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal accused Israel of being behind the attack in a statement late Thursday.
“Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out a policy of killing innocent civilians awaiting relief as a result of the famine in the northern Gaza Strip,” Bassal said in a statement.
This is a developing story and will be updated.