Jerusalem, Dec 12 (AP) The Israeli military says it struck Hamas militants in two locations in the southern Gaza Strip who planned to hijack aid convoys.

Palestinian Health officials had earlier said that the two strikes killed 15 men who were part of local committees established to secure aid deliveries. The committees have been organised in cooperation with the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza.

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It was not possible to independently confirm either account of the strikes, which occurred overnight into Thursday.

Israel has long accused Hamas of hijacking humanitarian aid deliveries, while UN officials have said there is no systemic diversion of aid.

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UN agencies and aid groups say deliveries are held up by Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid and movement within Gaza, as well as the breakdown of law and order more than 14 months into the war between Israel and Hamas.

Israel has repeatedly targeted the Hamas-run police force, which maintained internal security before the war.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, the main aid provider in Gaza, said a UN convoy of 70 trucks carrying humanitarian aid in southern Gaza “was involved in a serious incident,” resulting in just one of the trucks reaching its destination.

It did not provide further details on the incident but said the same route had been used successfully two days earlier.

Israel's offensive, launched after Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack, has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90 per cent of Gaza's population of 2.3 million, leaving the territory heavily reliant on international food aid. (AP)

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