Palestinian health authorities report that ten individuals, including six children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza while waiting to fill water bottles. The bodies were transported to Nuseirat’s al-Awda hospital, where 16 injured individuals, seven of them children, are also receiving treatment.
Witnesses stated that a drone launched a missile into a crowd gathered with empty bottles near a water tanker in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp. The Israeli military acknowledged a “technical error,” stating that their strike targeted an Islamic Jihad “terrorist,” but the munition inadvertently landed in another area. The military has initiated a review of the incident and stated it’s working to minimize civilian harm.
Unverified footage depicted bloody and deceased children, with others screaming nearby in states of panic and despair.
Escalating Attacks and Humanitarian Crisis
This strike follows an intensification of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip. A spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense Agency reported that an additional 19 Palestinians were killed on Sunday in three separate attacks on residential buildings in central Gaza and Gaza City.
Separately, the International Committee of the Red Cross stated that its hospital in Rafah has treated more casualties in the last six weeks than in the preceding 12 months.
On Saturday, Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza reported that 24 people died near an aid distribution center. Witnesses claimed Israeli military forces launched attacks as people attempted to procure food. The Israeli military stated it was unaware of individuals wounded by its soldiers near the aid center.
The United Nations Human Rights Agency reported on Friday that it had documented 789 killings that occurred in aid distribution areas.
The conflict in Gaza began after Hamas militants, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and other powers, attacked Israeli border communities on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,219 people, predominantly civilians. In response, Israeli retaliatory actions have killed at least 57,882 Palestinians in Gaza, primarily women and children, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced multiple times. Over 90 percent of homes are estimated to be severely damaged or completely destroyed. The healthcare, water, and sanitation systems have collapsed, leading to severe shortages of food, medicine, fuel, and shelter.
