At least one civilian was killed and 48 wounded when Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians, after the group chosen by Israel to ship food into Gaza lost control of its distribution centre, health officials reported.

Witnesses said Israeli forces started shooting after crowds of Palestinians broke through the fences on Tuesday around the distribution site, as an Israeli military helicopter fired flares and bursts of gunfire were heard in the distance. In one video, a large crowd of panicked civilians, including women and children, can be seen running away from the distribution site, trampling the fencing.

The Israeli military said it fired “warning shots” near the compound to restore control, but denied firing towards people.

The UN and other humanitarian organisations have rejected the new system, saying it would not be able to meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and allowed Israel to use food as a weapon to control the population. They have also said there was a risk of friction between Israeli troops and hungry people seeking supplies.