Charity and aid groups said in a joint statement that more than 500 Palestinians had been killed and almost 4,000 injured in less than four weeks while trying to access or distribute food in Gaza.

More than 500 people have been killed in mass shootings near aid distribution centers or transport routes guarded by Israeli forces since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operating.

The call from some of the world's top aid organisations and charities comes after reports of soldiers killing hundreds of of Palestinians at aid sites.