Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service say Israeli airstrikes and gunfire have killed at least 42 people in Gaza.

Israeli gunfire and airstrikes killed more than 50 Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday, including some who were waiting overnight for aid, according to local health officials, continuing a pattern that has drawn international criticism as the country’s “drip-feeding of aid” into the enclave continues to claim lives.

Israel’s military said it fired warning shots to distance a crowd “in response to an immediate threat” and it was not aware of any casualties.

An analysis compiled by USAID officials examining more than 150 reported incidents involving the theft or loss of U.S.-funded humanitarian aid in the war-torn Gaza Strip says it failed to find any evidence that Hamas -- the militant rulers of the Palestinian enclave -- engaged in widespread diversion of assistance,

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says the air drops "might help" but notes that the "most vulnerable" in Gaza would still struggle to access essential supplies.