Israeli gunfire killed at least 17 Palestinians and wounded dozens as thousands of displaced people approached anaid distribution site run by a U.S.-backed humanitarian group in central Gaza on Tuesday,

The British-flagged yacht Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, aimed to deliver symbolic aid to Gaza.

The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people it referred to as suspects who it said had advanced toward its troops hundreds of yards from the aid site prior to its opening hours.