Their deaths were blamed on Israeli gunfire, according to local health authorities. 

At least 17 Palestinians were killed and dozen of others were said to have been injured as thousands of displaced individuals gathered near an aid distribution site operated by a U.S.-backed humanitarian group in central Gaza on Tuesday.

Their deaths were blamed on Israeli gunfire, according to local health authorities. 

The Israeli military defended its actions, stating that its forces had fired warning shots at "suspects" who were advancing near Wadi Gaza, an area it identified as posing a threat to its troops.

Medics reported those wounded from the incident were rushed to two hospitals: Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat camp, located in central Gaza, and Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, in the north.

 The Israel military also contested the casualty figures provided by local health authorities, suggesting discrepancies between the two sources, however it acknowledged number of persons injured.

According to the military, the warning shots were fired several hundred meters from the aid distribution site, before it had opened, targeting individuals whom the military considered a threat. 

Additionally, the Israeli military noted that the shooting occurred in an area deemed dangerous for military personnel.

This incident follows a warning issued by the Israeli military last week, which advised Palestinians against approaching roads leading to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time, labelling these routes as "closed military zones."

Last week, SaharaReporters reported that amid the Gaza crisis, at least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire.

According to Reuters, the incident occurred near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip lasted week Tuesday.

The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of individuals who had left designated access routes near the distribution centre in Rafah.

It was noted that local health authorities said this happened on the third day of chaos and bloodshed affecting the aid operation.

The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid waste to much of the enclave.