At least 20 Palestinians have been killed in a crush at a food distribution site in southern Gaza run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. It happened after GHF guards used teargas or pepper spray on hungry crowds arriving at the centre, Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said.

Fifteen people died from suffocation after teargas was fired at the crowd, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement.

“All of the 15 arrived at the hospital already dead with obvious symptoms of lack of oxygen. You can see blue marks, vomit, blue lips, swelling faces – all symptoms of suffocation,” Dr Mohammed Zaqqout, the director of hospitals for Gaza, said. “We couldn’t save any of the 15 we received because they were already dead on arrival.”