21 killed in Israeli attack in southeastern Gaza City

GAZA -- At least 21 Palestinians were killed and 150 others wounded in an Israeli attack on a gathering of Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza City, Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The witnesses and sources told Xinhua a group of Palestinians were at the Kuwait roundabout in Gaza to obtain aid as helicopters opened fire with their machine guns and launched shells toward the gathering.

The statement mentioned that despite challenging field conditions, efforts to recover the deceased and evacuate the injured are ongoing.

The number of the killed is expected to rise due to serious injuries, it added.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday denied media reports that its military fired at Palestinians in southern Gaza City.

"The reports that the IDF attacked dozens of Gazans at an aid distribution point are false," the IDF said on Telegram.