At least 45 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while waiting for UN and commercial trucks to enter the territory with desperately needed food, according to Gaza’s health ministry and a local hospital.

The circumstances of the killings were not immediately clear. It did not appear to be related to a new Israel- and US-supported aid delivery network that was rolled out last month and has been marred by controversy and violence.

Palestinians say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on crowds trying to reach food distribution points run by the US and Israel-backed aid group since the centres opened last month. Local health officials say scores have been killed and hundreds wounded.