Another 19 people were shot dead as they crowded near the Zikim crossing from Israel in the hope of obtaining aid, said Fares Awad, head of the Gaza health ministry’s ambulance and emergency service.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began to facilitate increased humanitarian aid to Gaza on July 26, the IDF said, including completing new air drops of assistance, opening new humanitarian corridors, and pausing fighting in areas of the territory during the day.