At least 10 people, including children, were killed on Sunday morning near a water distribution point in central Gaza, according to health officials in the enclave. This incident occurred as Israel continued its military campaign in the region despite ongoing U.S.-led efforts to negotiate a truce.
Dr. Marwan Abu Nasser, the director of Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat, reported that the victims' bodies and over a dozen wounded individuals were transported to the hospital following the strike, which took place approximately half a mile away.
Rami Al-Shrafi, another doctor at Al-Awda Hospital, noted that people frequently gather at the water point each morning due to many Palestinians in the area being displaced and lacking access to running water or plumbing. “It seems the shell landed there and struck them directly,” Dr. Shrafi stated.
In response to inquiries about the strike in Nuseirat, the Israeli military attributed the incident to a “technical error” that caused an Israeli munition, aimed at an Islamic Jihad militant, to land several meters away from its intended target. The military acknowledged the reported casualties and indicated that “the incident is under review.”
Later in the day, a separate strike in northern Gaza targeted a crowded junction in Gaza City, resulting in at least 11 fatalities and numerous injuries, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense, an emergency rescue organization under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry.
Fadel Naim, a doctor at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, confirmed that the medical center received several casualties from that attack, including Ahmad Qandil, a doctor at the hospital, who was among the deceased.
The Israeli military stated it was investigating the reports regarding the strike in Gaza City. Additionally, the military announced that its air force had attacked over 150 targets across Gaza in the past 24 hours, including weapons storage facilities and sniper posts.
These deadly strikes occurred amid ongoing efforts to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which have yet to produce results. Israeli officials and President Trump had expressed optimism for an agreement prior to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington last week, but talks appear to have stalled due to differences between the two sides.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have persisted in their attacks in Gaza, part of a 21-month conflict that began following Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and around 250 individuals taken hostage to Gaza.
Since the onset of the conflict, more than 58,000 people have reportedly been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry there. The ministry's casualty figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants but include thousands of children.
Over the past month, more than 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza, as reported by the Israeli military, including five who died in a roadside ambush last week.