Israeli Strike Kills Eight Palestinians, Mostly Children, in Gaza Amid Ceasefire Stalemate
At least eight Palestinians, including six children, were killed and more than a dozen wounded in an Israeli strike in central Gaza, as ceasefire negotiations in Qatar continue to stall.
Kokcha News Agency: An Israeli missile strike on a water distribution point in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed at least eight Palestinians, most of them children, and injured 17 others on Sunday. The Israeli military stated that the strike was intended to target an Islamic Jihad militant but malfunctioned, landing “dozens of meters from the target.”
“The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians,” the military said in a statement, adding that the incident is under review. The strike comes amid severe water shortages in Gaza, where fuel shortages have forced the closure of desalination and sanitation facilities, leaving residents dependent on water collection points.
Hours later, another Israeli strike on a market in Gaza City killed 12 people, including prominent hospital consultant Ahmad Qandil, according to Palestinian media. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on this attack.
Gaza Death Toll Rises
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported on Sunday that more than 58,000 people have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, with 139 deaths added in the past 24 hours. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters but notes that over half of the casualties are women and children.
Ceasefire Negotiations Stall
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed hope for progress in ceasefire negotiations underway in Qatar. However, talks have stalled over disagreements on the extent of an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his ministers late Sunday to discuss the latest developments in the talks. Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s core demands in a video posted on Telegram, stating that Israel will not back down from its goals of releasing all hostages, destroying Hamas, and ensuring Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.
Hostage Families Push for Deal
Families of hostages gathered outside Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem, urging the government to secure a deal. Jon Polin, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was held hostage by Hamas and killed in August 2024, said, “The overwhelming majority of the people of Israel have spoken loudly and clearly. We want to do a deal, even at the cost of ending this war, and we want to do it now.”
Plan to Relocate Gazans to Rafah
Netanyahu and his ministers also discussed a controversial plan to move hundreds of thousands of Gazans to a “humanitarian city” in Rafah, which has drawn criticism as a form of forced displacement. An Israeli source briefed on the discussions said the complex would be established during the ceasefire, if one is reached.
Hamas has rejected Israeli withdrawal maps that would leave 40% of Gaza, including all of Rafah, under Israeli control.
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