More than 1,000 Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid in Gaza have been killed by Israeli forces near aid distribution centers since May, the enclave’s Health Ministry said Tuesday.

The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) released similar findings in a separate statement.

Most of the deaths occurred near aid sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private organization backed by the United States and Israel but condemned by the U.N. and various humanitarian groups.

Palestinians have been killed near GHF distribution points on a near-daily basis, according to local officials and witnesses.

Eyewitnesses have repeatedly described Israeli drones, tanks, quadcopters and ground troops firing at crowds gathered for food aid.

An investigation published by Israeli newspaper Haaretz last month cited accounts from Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel who said their commanders ordered them to open fire on civilians seeking aid on multiple occasions.

On Saturday, Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on a group of Palestinians gathered near a GHF distribution site in Khan Younis, killing 32 and wounding dozens.

GHF has denied reports of violence near its aid sites and the starvation of Gazans. On Tuesday, the organization said it has distributed 89 million meals across the enclave.

On Sunday, 82 more Palestinians were reportedly killed as they gathered around more than two dozen aid trucks operated by the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP). The WFP condemned the attack, calling it “completely unacceptable.”

The IDF has issued statements following similar incidents, saying it regrets harm to civilians and pledges to conduct investigations.

Despite the risks, thousands of Gazans continue to gather at these sites, driven by growing hunger and desperation.

On Tuesday, 115 human rights organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children — warned in an open letter that famine is spreading across Gaza, directly blaming the Israeli government for the deaths of starving civilians.

“The government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death,” the letter read.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the letter, saying the groups were “echoing Hamas’ propaganda.”

Over 100 Palestinians have starved to death in Gaza, Health Ministry says

At least 111 Palestinians have died of starvation across the territory since October 2023, including 76 children, the Gaza Health Ministry reported Tuesday.

In June, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which was banned by Israel from operating in Gaza in January — reported alarming rates of child malnutrition across the enclave. It found that more than 10% of children under age 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, and one in 10 face general malnourishment.

The dead also include the disabled and elderly.

Video footage from recent days shows emaciated corpses lying on hospital floors.

One video in particular showed a disabled Palestinian man, Mohammad al-Sawfeer, lying dead from starvation in Gaza City on July 20.

“This citizen died of starvation,” Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basel said in the video. “In the past, we never imagined that a citizen would die of starvation, but today in Gaza, this has become a reality. People are dying from starvation because there is no food in Gaza.”

“This man turned into a skeleton,” he added. “What was his sin to die in this way?”

Israel’s 21-month war in Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry.