Gaza officials stated that on the 13th, central Gaza was attacked by Israel, resulting in at least eight Palestinians being killed while fetching water, including six children, and more than ten others injured. The Israeli military said that the strike was caused by a missile deviating from its intended target.
Foreign media reported that the Israeli military said this missile was originally intended to target Islamic Jihad militants in the area, but due to a malfunction, it landed "dozens of meters away from the target."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement, "The IDF regrets any harm caused to innocent civilians," and added that the military is reviewing the incident.
Dr. Saifan, an emergency room physician at Al-Awda Hospital, said the attack hit a water supply station in the Nuseirat refugee camp, causing the deaths of six children and injuring another 17 people.
The water shortage in Gaza has sharply worsened in recent weeks; fuel shortages have led to the closure of seawater desalination and sanitation facilities, leaving people reliant on water collection centers and using plastic containers to fetch water.
According to Palestinian media reports, hours later, Israel attacked a market in Gaza City, killing 12 people, including the renowned hospital consultant Gandil. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on this strike.
The Gaza Health Ministry said on the 13th that since October 2023, when Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas went to war, more than 58,000 people have died, with another 139 people killed in the past 24 hours.
The Ministry of Health’s statistics do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but indicate that over half of the dead are women and children.