Gaza civil defense says 10 killed across territory

Gaza's civil defense agency said at least 10 people were killed across the Palestinian territory on Saturday, including civilians who were waiting to collect aid.

Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that at least six people were killed and 30 wounded after Israeli troops targeted civilians assembling near an aid point in central Gaza.

The spokesman said strikes also hit areas in central Gaza, resulting in multiple casualties.

Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defense and the Israeli military.

Thousands of Gazans congregate daily near food distribution points in Gaza, including four managed by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Since launching in late May, its operations have been marred by almost-daily reports of Israeli forces targeting those waiting to collect aid supplies.

Israeli restrictions on the entry of supplies into Gaza since the start of the war nearly two years ago have led to shortages of food and essential supplies, including medicine and fuel, which hospitals require to power their generators.

Early Friday, the Israeli security cabinet approved plans to launch major operations to seize Gaza City, triggering a wave of outrage across the globe.

Despite the backlash and rumors of dissent from Israeli military top brass, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained defiant over the decision.

In a post on social media late Friday, Netanyahu said "we are not going to occupy Gaza -- we are going to free Gaza from Hamas".

Netanyahu faces mounting pressure to secure a ceasefire to bring the territory's more than two million people back from the brink of famine and free the hostages held by Palestinian militants.

Israel's arch enemy Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack triggered the war, slammed the plan to expand the fighting, calling it a "new war crime".

Israel's offensive has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry, figures the U.N. says are reliable.

The 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.