At least four Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire as they were heading to an aid distribution centre, health workers in Gaza have said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops had directed warning shots after issuing a verbal challenge at a group that was moving towards them and was deemed a threat.

It is the latest deadly incident to occur near aid distribution points in Gaza that have been set up by a new organisation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by Israel and the US.

The IDF said it was aware of reports that people had been injured, adding: "The number... does not align with the information currently held by the IDF."

The latest incident occurred before dawn near an aid distribution site close to Rafah in the south of Gaza.