JERUSALEM (BN24) — An Israeli missile struck a group of Palestinians collecting water in central Gaza on Sunday, killing at least eight people, most of them children, and wounding more than a dozen, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said the missile was intended to target an Islamic Jihad militant but malfunctioned and fell dozens of meters from its intended point of impact.
“The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians,” the military said in a statement, adding that the incident was under review.
The strike hit a water distribution point in the Nuseirat refugee camp where residents had gathered to fill plastic containers, as widespread fuel shortages have forced the closure of many desalination and sanitation facilities. Ahmed Abu Saifan, an emergency physician at Al-Awda Hospital, said six children were among the dead and 17 people were injured.
Hours later, another Israeli strike killed 12 people in a market area of Gaza City, Palestinian media reported. Among the victims was a well-known hospital consultant, Dr. Ahmad Qandil. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on that strike.
Gaza’s health ministry said more than 58,000 people have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack into southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. The ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, said over half of those killed in Gaza are women and children. In the past 24 hours alone, 139 fatalities were added to the toll.
The violence has escalated as ceasefire negotiations appear to have stalled. Talks mediated by the United States and held in Doha over a proposed 60-day pause in fighting have yielded little progress, with Israeli and Palestinian officials accusing each other of refusing to compromise. The main sticking point remains the scope of an Israeli withdrawal and guarantees over Hamas’ future military capabilities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated in a video posted on Telegram that Israel would not back down from its demands, including the destruction of Hamas, the release of all hostages and assurances that Gaza would no longer pose a threat to Israeli citizens. Netanyahu was expected to convene cabinet ministers later Sunday to assess the stalled negotiations.
The humanitarian toll has grown steadily as Israel’s campaign against Hamas pushes nearly all of Gaza’s more than 2 million residents from their homes. For many, evacuation orders have offered little safety.
In Gaza City early Sunday, a missile struck a home where a family had relocated after fleeing their neighborhood.
“My aunt, her husband and the children are gone,” said Anas Matar, standing in the debris of the building. “What is the fault of the children who died in an ugly, bloody massacre at dawn? They came here and they were hit. There is no safe place in Gaza.”
