KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces and allied local gunmen fired toward a crowd heading to an Israeli- and U.S.-supported food distribution center in the Gaza Strip early Monday, Palestinians said. Gaza’s Health Ministry and local hospitals said 14 people were killed.

The gunmen appeared to be allied with Israel’s military, operating in close proximity to troops and retreating into an Israeli military zone in the southern city of Rafah after the crowd hurled stones at them, witnesses said.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel recently acknowledged supporting local armed groups opposed to Hamas.

It was the latest in a series of shootings that have killed at least 127 people and wounded hundreds since the rollout of a new food distribution system last month, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel and the United States say the new system is designed to circumvent Hamas, but it has been rejected by the U.N. and major aid groups.

Experts have warned that Israel’s blockade and ongoing military campaign have put Gaza at risk of famine. Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians almost completely rely on international aid because nearly all food production capabilities have been destroyed.

Palestinians say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired toward crowds heading to the food centers. Previously, Israel’s military has said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces near the centers, which are in military zones off limits to independent media.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the private contractor running the sites, says there has been no violence in or around the centers themselves. But GHF repeatedly warns would-be food recipients that stepping off the road designated by the military for people to reach the centers represents “a great danger.” It paused delivery at its three distribution sites last week to discuss with the military about improving safety on the routes.

GHF closed the Rafah site on Monday due to the “chaos of the crowds,” according to a Facebook site associated with the group. A GHF spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Heba Joda, who was in the crowd, said gunfire broke out at a roundabout where previous shootings have occurred, around a half a mile from the aid site. She said the shots came from the “dangerous zone” where Israeli troops and their allies are stationed.

She said she saw men from a local militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab trying to organize the crowds into lines on the road. When people pushed forward, the gunmen opened fire. People then hurled stones, forcing the gunmen to withdraw toward the Israeli positions, she said.