At least eight Palestinians, mostly children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the central Gaza Strip as they took the country. The Israeli military later said the missile missed the target due to a technical error, leading to it falling dozens of meters away from the target.
The attack fell on a water distribution point at the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing 6 children and injuring 17 others. Mr. Ahmed Abu Saifan, an emergency physician at Al-Awda Hospital, confirmed this information.
The Israeli military said it planned to target an element of the Islamic Stolen Committee in the area, but a technical problem caused the missile to fall in the wrong position. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) regrets any unrelated damage to civilians, the IDF said, adding that the incident is under investigation.
The water shortage in Gaza is increasingly serious due to fuel shortages, causing desalting and water treatment facilities to close. People are forced to go to water gathering points to get them back using plastic cans. Such locations have now become dangerous targets.
Just hours after the incident in Nuseirat, another Israeli airstrike killed 12 people at a market in Gaza City, including Dr. Ahmad Qandil, a prominent medical expert. The Israeli military did not comment on the attack.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 58,000 people have died since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out in October 2023. In the past 24 hours, the number of casualties increased by 139. The agency does not distinguish between civilians and gunmen, but insists that more than half of the victims are women and children.
negotiations to reach a temporary ceasefire are at a standstill, as Israel and Hamas have not yet agreed on the scope of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. A US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire is being discussed indirectly in Doha. However, hopes for a recent deal have gradually fading as the two sides continue to blame each other.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that the country will not abandon three key goals: Rescuing all hostages, destroying Hamas and ensuring Gaza is no longer a threat to Israel. In a speech on Telegram, Mr. Netanyahu said he would convene the ministers to discuss further the negotiation process.
Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale military campaign against Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. More than 2 million Gazans have been forced to flee their homes, while many say there is no safe place in the coastal area.
