Israeli tanks and soldiers fired on starving crowd in Gaza, UN food agency chief says

The head of the United Nations food agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), told CNN on Monday that Israeli tanks and soldiers fired on starving Palestinians who had gathered to receive a rare delivery of aid after the WFP finally received permission from Israel to enter Gaza through the Zikim gate in the north. 

"This is one of the worst tragedies we've seen so far," Cindy McCain said.

"We began our trek down the road, and what we saw were thousands of people running towards us, and they were hungry. They're starving. And and all of a sudden, the Israeli tanks, Israeli guns, Israeli weapons from all kinds started firing on the crowd. And it was something that I hope never happens again," she added.

The UN had previously confirmed, however, that some 800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as they tried to collect food parcels from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Several videos shared by journalists and civilians on the ground show US and UK military contractors appearing to use kettling tactics to fence in aid seekers before opening fire. 

"We are not coordinating, and we do not work with GHF," McCain told CNN.

When asked repeatedly if there is evidence of Hamas looting aid trucks, as the US and Israeli governments have alleged, McCain said the WFP has "not seen that".

Raids on delivery trucks can be by civilians, she indicated, saying that "these people are starving to death. It is looting, but they're hungry, and so that does occur".