An Israel- and US-backed mechanism to distribute food in Gaza suspended operations for a day and a half following a series of deadly incidents near its sites that drew international criticism.

Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli attacks killed at least 37 people on Thursday, as a US-backed aid group reported it had resumed operations after a one-day hiatus. Gaza civil defence official Mohammed al-Mughayyir said that "37 people have been martyred in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip",

Witnesses and international medical teams report terrible scenes of killing as Israeli troops opened fire in the hours of Tuesday before dawn on Palestinians who were converging on the new aid distribution site in southern Gaza. It was "total carnage" according to a foreign witness.