The GHF, which began distributing food aid barely two weeks ago from sites in the southern and central Gaza Strip, said the team of about two dozen staff were attacked about 10 p.m. local time while traveling to a distribution center west of Khan Younis.

Israel charged Thursday that Hamas was "weaponising suffering in Gaza" after a US and Israeli-backed charity accused the Palestinian militant group of killing eight of its aid workers in the territory.

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.