Israeli fire and air strikes have killed at least 79 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, a number of them near an aid distribution site operated by the United States and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation(GHF), according to local health authorities, the latest deaths of people desperately seeking food for their hungry families, Aljazeera reported.

Medics at al-Awda and Al-Aqsa hospitals in central Gaza, where most of the casualties were moved to, said at least 15 people were killed on Saturday as they tried to approach the GHF aid distribution site near the so-called Netzarim Corridor.

The rest were killed in separate attacks across the besieged and bombarded enclave, they added. Since the GHF started operations last month, at least 274 people have been killed and more than 2,000 wounded near aid distribution sites, according to a statement by the Gaza Ministry of Health.

The GHF said they were closed on Saturday. But witnesses said thousands of people had gathered near the sites anyway, desperate for food as Israel’s punishing 15-week blockade and military campaign have driven the territory to the brink of famine, according to Aljazeera.