RAFAH, Gaza Strip —

At least 31 people were killed and over 170 were wounded Sunday while on their way to receive food in the Gaza Strip, health officials and witnesses said. Witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds around a kilometer (1,000 yards) from an aid site run by an Israeli-backed foundation.

It was the deadliest incident yet around the new aid distribution system, which has operated for less than a week.

Video above: Palestinians return to Khan Younis by foot after deaths at aid collection hub in southern Gaza

Israel's military said in a statement its forces did not fire at civilians near or within the site. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with procedure, said troops fired warning shots at several suspects advancing toward them a

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