Israeli Strike on Gaza Water Distribution Site Kills Six Children, Claims of 'Technical Malfunction'
At least ten Palestinians, including six children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a water distribution point in the central Gaza strip, according to multiple sources. The strike occurred amidst a wave of attacks that left at least 31 dead on Sunday, according to Gaza's Civil Defence. The Israeli military attributed the strike on the water point to a technical malfunction
.
Context and Background
The attack on the water distribution site is part of a broader escalation of violence in Gaza. The Israeli military has been carrying out airstrikes on homes, displacement camps, and water points across the Strip. The increase in violence comes in the wake of stalled indirect ceasefire talks in Qatar between Israel and Hamas.
The water distribution site, located in the Nuseirat refugee camp, south of Gaza City, was packed with civilians at the time of the strike. Many were in line to collect water, a basic necessity that has become a dangerous task due to Israel's expanding assault and worsening shortages of water in Gaza.
Details of the Attack
Witnesses reported that around 20 children and 14 adults were queuing for water Sunday morning when the strike hit. According to Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat, six children were among the dead, and at least seven more children were wounded.
In response to the strike, the Israeli military claimed it was targeting a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement, but due to a technical fault in the ammunition, the projectile fell dozens of meters from the target,
leading to the tragic outcome.
Humanitarian Crisis and Reactions
This recent strike exacerbates an already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. The UN has warned that without immediate fuel deliveries, a full shutdown of water and sanitation facilities is possible. Gaza's Government Information Office has accused Israeli forces of carrying out a war of thirst
, claiming that more than 700 people—most of them children—have been killed while trying to fill water tanks.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) stated that 86.1 percent of the Gaza Strip now falls within Israeli militarized zones or under forced evacuation orders. It estimates that more than 725,000 people have been displaced yet again since Israel violated the ceasefire agreement in mid-March.
Current Status
Despite the growing death toll, there is a glimmer of hope for a ceasefire. Donald Trump has stated that there's a very good chance
of a Gaza ceasefire within days. However, the devastation wrought by the ongoing conflict continues unabated, with the Palestinian health ministry reporting that at least 139 bodies had been brought to Gaza's hospitals within a 24-hour span. The ongoing conflict and its humanitarian consequences continue to draw international concern and calls for intervention.