The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people it referred to as suspects who it said had advanced toward its troops hundreds of yards from the aid site prior to its opening hours.

Palestinians say Israeli forces and allied local gunmen fired toward a crowd heading to an Israeli- and U.S.-supported food distribution center in the Gaza Strip.

Telecommunication services in the war-torn Gaza Strip were disrupted on Thursday, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Citing the Palestinian telecommunications authority, WAFA said the last remaining fibre-optic network was damaged in an attack,

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are struggling to celebrate one of the most important Islamic holidays. To mark Eid al-Adha — Arabic for the Festival of Sacrifice — Muslims traditionally slaughter a sheep or cow and give away part of the meat to the poor as an act of charity. Then they have a big family meal with sweets.

The war began when Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. More than half the captives have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight and recovered the remains of dozens more.

Israel is using the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to co-opt aid for political and military purposes at the expense of the Strip’s civilian population.

An Israeli strike on a residential building in the Gaza Strip has killed 14 people, mostly women and children, according to health officials.