Gaza's civil defense agency said on Tuesday that Israeli forces had killed at least 50 people who had gathered near the Khan Yunis aid distribution site in the south of the territory.

According to Civil Security Spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal, at least 50 people were killed and more than 200 were injured when thousands of Palestinians gathered at a charitable aid center in the morning to receive flour.

'Israeli drones shoot at civilians. After a few minutes, the Israeli tanks opened fire on the civilians, resulting in a large number of martyrs and injuries,' he said.

The Israeli army told AFP that it was "investigating" the incident.

Gaza's Ministry of Health later said that as a result of the incident, "51 martyrs and more than 200 wounded have arrived at the Nasser Medical Complex, 20 of whom are in serious condition."

The Gaza Strip has been devastated by more than 20 months of war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate.