Israeli missile misses target, kills Palestinian children

At least 8 Palestinians, including several children, were killed and 17 injured when an Israeli missile missed its target in the central Gaza Strip.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced today that it launched a missile strike targeting a position of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip. However, the IDF admitted a "technical malfunction" caused the missile to hit a water distribution point tens of meters away from the intended target.

Doctors at Al-Awda hospital reported 8 fatalities, including 6 children, and 17 injuries.

Palestinians at the site of the Israeli strike in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, 13/7. Photo: AFP

Palestinians at the site of the Israeli strike in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, 13/7. Photo: AFP

The IDF said it had received reports of casualties due to the errant missile and was investigating the incident. It expressed "regret for the harm to civilians" and declared it was making every effort to minimize such harm. Israeli officials did not specify the type of missile used in the strike.

The conflict in the Gaza Strip erupted in 10/2023 after Hamas launched a coordinated attack on southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. 49 hostages are still held in Gaza, 27 of whom are believed by Israel to be dead.

The ensuing Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip resulted in over 57,000 deaths, more than half of them women and children, according to local health authorities.

Around two million Gaza residents are also struggling after 21 months of continuous displacement and bombardment. They are on the brink of famine due to the Israeli blockade of border crossings. Israel recently eased the blockade, working with the US to administer the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) for aid distribution, instead of using traditional UN-led relief mechanisms.

Gaza health authorities and international medical groups report that thousands of Gazans have been killed or injured by Israeli fire while trying to obtain aid at GHF distribution points. Many leave empty-handed after having their food stolen by crowds.

Human rights organizations and the UN have condemned the GHF aid distribution model as militarized, dangerous, and inconsistent with international law.