At least 15 Palestinians were killed near the aid distribution center in Rafa, southern Gaza, amid Israeli tank shelling and gunfire, according to medical staff and local residents.

Mohammed Ghareeb, a local journalist in Rafa, told the BBC that when Israeli tanks approached and opened fire at the crowd, thousands of Palestinians gathered near a U.S.-funded humanitarian aid distribution center.

Local journalists and activists shared painful footage of the body and the injured were transported to a Red Cross hospital in the Al-Mawasi area of ​​Rafah, as rescue teams were reportedly unable to reach the scene.

The BBC has contacted the IDF to respond.

Mr Ghareeb said that the Palestinian crowd gathered near the Al-Alam roundabout at around 04:30 (02:30 BST) local time, near the aid center run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and Israeli tanks appeared and fired not long ago.

"The dead and injured grounds have been in a long time," Mr Ghareeb said.

"Rescuers are unable to access areas under Israeli control. This forces residents to use donkey carts to transport victims to on-site hospitals."

A doctor at the Red Cross Hospital told reporters that 15 bodies and 50 injured people arrived at the facility.

The doctors added that efforts were being made to transfer the casualties to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis for further treatment.

Civil Defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that more than 100 people were injured, saying: "At least 10 Palestinians were killed and more than 100 others... were injured due to Israeli vehicles shooting thousands of citizens."

The incident underscores the terrible humanitarian conditions in Rafah, and Israeli military operations have severely limited access to aid and emergency services recently.

World Food Program said many civilians impulsively rush to aid trucks in Gaza on Saturday, as hunger and despair created a chaotic scene.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is a new U.S. and Israel-backed organization that has been distributing food at designated locations throughout Gaza. Israel has formulated the plan after it accused Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denied.

GHF said it distributed 2 million meals this week, which the BBC could not independently verify.

This is because the United States is trying to establish a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas responded to the U.S. ceasefire proposal, saying it was ready to release 10 Israeli hostages and 18 dead hostages in exchange for many Palestinian prisoners.

However, the group also repeated the demand for a permanent truce, with Israel withdrawing completely from Gaza and ensuring the continued flow of humanitarian aid. None of these are traded on the table.

Hamas said it had responded to Steve Witkoff, the special envoy for the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump.

Wikov said the proposal was "unacceptable and only took us backwards" and insisted that the U.S. deal was "the only way for us to end a 60-day ceasefire agreement in the coming days."