Israeli Airstrike Kills Children at Water Distribution Site in Gaza July 13, 2025 Central Gaza Strip An Is

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📰 Israeli Airstrike Kills Children at Water Distribution Site in Gaza
🗓️ July 13, 2025
📍Central Gaza Strip

📄 An Israeli airstrike in central Gaza on July 13 (local time) killed at least eight Palestinians, most of them children, who had gathered at a water distribution point, according to local medical officials. More than 12 others were injured in the attack, Reuters reported.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged that the missile strike, intended to target Islamic Jihad militants, missed its intended location by several dozen meters. In a statement, the IDF expressed regret over civilian casualties and announced that an internal investigation was underway.

Among the dead were six children killed when a water infrastructure facility at the Nuseirat refugee camp was hit. The strike exacerbated Gaza’s worsening water crisis. Medical sources confirmed that 17 others were injured, including many minors.

Due to a severe shortage of fuel, desalination plants and sanitation systems in Gaza have shut down, forcing residents to rely on public water taps and plastic containers for drinking water. The crisis has intensified over recent weeks.

Palestinian media later reported that an Israeli airstrike struck a marketplace in Gaza City just hours after the water facility was hit, killing 12 people. The IDF has yet to comment on that incident.

Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the 21-month-long war remain stalled, and civilian casualties continue to mount, particularly at humanitarian aid distribution centers where crowds gather daily for relief supplies.

Israel maintains a blockade on Gaza, citing concerns that Hamas is diverting aid. Only limited relief is being distributed through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a joint initiative launched with the United States in May. However, daily incidents involving Israeli troops firing on civilians at aid points have persisted since the operation began.

According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), 789 people have been killed near aid zones since late May, including 615 near distribution centers and 183 on humanitarian convoy routes.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that over 58,000 people have died since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. An additional 139 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours alone. While the Ministry did not distinguish between combatants and civilians, it noted that more than half of the victims were women and children.

The mounting civilian death toll from Israeli airstrikes on aid zones and critical infrastructure is likely to draw renewed scrutiny from the international community. As ceasefire talks remain paralyzed, Israel’s justification of targeting militant operatives will face increasing skepticism amid repeated targeting errors. Humanitarian operations risk further destabilization, and global pressure for accountability is expected to intensify in the coming weeks.

🔗 Reported from Central Gaza – World News War Correspondence Desk

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