Deir al-Balah, July 13: Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 30 people on Sunday, including six children at a water collection point in Nuseirat, according to local health officials. The Palestinian death toll has now surpassed 58,000 after 21 months of ongoing war. The strike on the water point, where around 20 children and 14 adults were waiting for water, was reportedly caused by a technical error, as Israeli forces said the munitions fell “dozens of metres from the target,” which was a militant. Residents described the scene as devastating, with no safe place left amid the conflict.
Another Israeli strike in central Gaza City killed 11 people, including Dr. Ahmed Qandil, a general surgeon heading to a hospital, and injured about 30 others. In the town of Zawaida, an attack on a home killed nine people, including two women and three children. Israel’s military claimed it was unaware of this strike but reported targeting over 150 Hamas-related sites in the past day. Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties, citing the militant group’s presence in populated areas. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that women and children constitute more than half of the casualties but does not differentiate civilians from combatants. The UN considers these figures reliable.
Despite ongoing indirect talks to pause the war and free Israeli hostages, progress remains stalled, partly over disagreements about Israeli troop deployment during a ceasefire. Israel demands Hamas surrender, disarm, and exile, which Hamas refuses, though Hamas says it is willing to release remaining hostages in exchange for an end to the war and Israeli withdrawal.
Meanwhile, violence continues in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where funerals were held for Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet and a friend, killed in clashes with Israeli settlers. Musallet’s family has called for a U.S. investigation. The Palestinian Health Ministry accused settlers of attacking him on family land. The State Department has not commented out of respect for the family.
Israel’s Energy Minister declared Gaza’s infrastructure would not be rebuilt soon, stating it should “remain an island of ruins” for decades, highlighting the ongoing harsh stance amid the conflict. (AP)
