The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the United States and Israel-backed organisation established to supplant the aid work of the United Nations, has accused Hamas of killing five staff and wounding multiple others in an attack on a bus en route to a food distribution centre, Al Jazeera reports.

A bus carrying more than two dozen Palestinians working with the organisation was “brutally attacked” while travelling to a distribution centre west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the foundation said in a statement.

While the organisation was still gathering facts, “at least” five people were killed and there were “multiple injuries”, the foundation said, adding there were fears that some of its staff had been taken captive.

Hamas did not immediately comment on the claims.

Hamas earlier this week denied that it had threatened the foundation after the organisation accused the Palestinian group of making “direct threats” against its operations.