Israeli tank shellfire killed at least 51 Palestinians as they awaited aid in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, the territory's health ministry said.

Witnesses said the tanks fired at least two shells onto a route used by aid trucks. Medical facilities reported being overwhelmed by the attack, as Israel has pushed Gaza’s health system to near collapse after sustained attacks on hospitals and health sites.

CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) -Israeli tanks fired into a crowd trying to get aid from trucks in the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing at least 51 people, according to medics, in one of the bloodiest incidents yet in mounting violence as desperate residents struggle for food.