The Israeli military said its troops began shooting after people strayed from a designated route toward a food distribution site. It was the latest deadly incident involving a contentious new aid system.

The near-daily shootings have come after an Israeli and U.S.-backed foundation established aid distribution points inside Israeli military zones, a system it says is designed to circumvent Hamas.

Civilians were fired at by tanks, drones and helicopters, civil defence officials say, while Israel says only that troops fired towards several suspects.