The controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) tested a new direct aid distribution method on Sunday, after Palestinian sources reported that several more people had been killed by Israeli gunfire near an aid centre.

In a “pilot project,” the GHF distributed food directly to Palestinians outside its distribution centres using trucks, according to media reports.

Around 20 trucks delivered aid to ease the burden on existing centres, the Israeli Kan broadcaster reported, citing GHF.

Other Israeli media also reported on the project in the northern part of Rafah, where local Palestinian workers were said to have assisted.

At least four killed near aid distribution point

Earlier on Sunday, medical sources at the Nasser Hospital reported that at least four people were killed by Israeli gunfire near a humanitarian aid distribution centre in the southern Gaza Strip.

Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred approximately 1 kilometre from the distribution centre near Rafah.

The Israeli military stated that several suspects approached troops in the Rafah area in the early hours of Sunday. After being instructed to move away, soldiers fired warning shots, it said.

The military said the area is currently classified as an “active combat zone” and acknowledged reports of injuries, but did not confirm any fatalities.

Neither the Palestinian nor Israeli accounts could be independently verified.

The incident follows a series of recent reports of casualties near aid distribution sites in Gaza after Israeli forces have opened fire.

The US and Israel-backed GHF, which manages several of the centres and has faced international criticism, has pledged to improve security measures.

In a statement, the GHF said it is working to make aid distribution as safe as possible and urged Palestinians to follow designated army-approved routes when approaching the centres.

GHF to reopen centre after closure

The GHF said it would reopen one of its centres on Sunday. It had closed them the previous day saying it was being threatened by the Palestinian Islamist militia Hamas.

One of the centres in Rafah, in southern Gaza, would reopen at noon on Sunday (0900 GMT), the GHF said in a statement on its Arabic-language Facebook page.

At the same time, residents were told not to approach the centre before opening hours. Otherwise, the GHF may not be able to distribute food packages, it said.

Later in the day, the foundation said distribution at aid sites was carried out without incidents, according to the news portal ynet.

The GHF also closed its distribution centres on Friday for safety reasons and urged residents to stay away from the facilities.

Around two weeks ago, Israel eased its blockade of aid deliveries to Gaza. The distribution of aid was taken over by the GHF, bypassing UN aid organizations and other initiatives.

The organization has faced criticism for circumventing established aid networks, as well as for allegedly endangering civilians and breaching widely accepted standards of impartial humanitarian assistance.

Last week, the UN said increasing numbers of Palestinians were “vulnerable to starvation,” with daily energy intake well below what a human body needs to survive.

Israel has been fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the militia and its allies launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting 250.

The subsequent war has killed more than 54,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. The figures do not distinguish between civilian and military deaths.

Israel says it found body of Hamas military chief in tunnel

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it had located the remains of Hamas military leader Mohammed al-Sinwar in an underground tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip.

Al-Sinwar, the brother of former Hamas leader Yehya al-Sinwar who was also killed by Israel, was killed along with the commander of the Rafah Brigade, Mohammed Sabaneh, in an attack on May 13, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a post on its Telegram channel.

The two had been hiding in an underground command and control centre belonging to Hamas, it said. The Islamist group has not confirmed Mohammed al-Sinwar’s death.

The Israeli military said their remains, along with various personal items, were found beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis. Israel has repeatedly said that Hamas uses civilian facilities like hospitals and schools, as cover for its operations – which Hamas denies.

“Additional bodies of terrorists were located during the operation, their identities are currently under examination,” the statement added.

The IDF showed the tunnel to several journalists on Sunday, including a dpa photojournalist. It also posted a video of soldiers dragging a corpse wrapped in white out of the tunnel on its Telegram channel. The military said the tunnel was very far underground, in the immediate vicinity of the clinic.

The dpa photographer described a strong smell of decay in the air, and said the floor was covered in worms. In one room, which had apparently been used as a dormitory, there were many blankets on the floor. He said no technical equipment or similar items were visible.

After the Israeli military killed Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif last year and Yehya al-Sinwar, Mohammed became the new head of Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.