KEY POINTS:
- Israeli airstrike kills 10 Palestinians, including 6 children, at water distribution point in Nuseirat refugee camp
- Israel admits “technical error” caused munition to miss intended target by dozens of meters
- Red Cross reports unprecedented surge in mass casualties at aid sites since May 27
- UN documents 789 aid-related killings amid controversial US-backed distribution system
- Gaza faces critical water and fuel shortages, with 93% of households experiencing water insecurity
Ten Palestinians, including six children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike while waiting to fill water containers at a distribution point in central Gaza’s al-Nuseirat refugee camp Sunday morning, according to emergency service officials and hospital staff.
The bodies were transported to al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat, which also treated 16 injured people including seven children, hospital officials told the BBC. Eyewitnesses reported that an Israeli drone fired a missile at civilians queuing with empty jerry cans next to a water tanker.
The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged a “technical error” with a strike targeting what it called an Islamic Jihad “terrorist,” stating the munition fell dozens of meters from the intended target, according to the BBC. The military said the incident is under review and that it works to minimize civilian harm “as much as possible.”
According to BBC Verify, the strike occurred on a road approximately 80 meters southwest of Nuseirat Junior High School, near a building listed as a kindergarten. Satellite imagery from three weeks ago shows a tanker truck parked at the location.
Broader Pattern of Aid-Related Deaths
Sunday’s incident represents part of a larger pattern of civilian casualties at humanitarian distribution points across Gaza. According to the UN Human Rights Office, 789 Palestinians have been killed in aid-related incidents as of July 5, with 615 deaths occurring near sites operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US and Israeli-backed organization that began operations May 27.
The International Committee of the Red Cross reported treating more mass casualty cases at its Rafah field hospital in the past six weeks than in the entire previous year. On Saturday alone, the facility received 132 patients with weapon-related injuries, 31 of whom died, according to the ICRC. The “overwhelming majority” had gunshot wounds, and all responsive patients reported trying to access food distribution sites.
“The alarming frequency and scale of these mass casualty incidents underscore the horrific conditions civilians in Gaza are enduring,” the ICRC stated.
According to Gaza’s Civil Defence Agency, 19 additional Palestinians were killed Sunday in three separate strikes on residential buildings in central Gaza and Gaza City, bringing the day’s death toll to at least 29.
Controversial Aid Distribution System
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, established in February 2025 with backing from the Israeli and US governments, has faced intense criticism from humanitarian organizations. According to The New York Times and Times of Israel, the organization was conceived by Israeli businessmen with close government ties, though it presents itself as neutral.
The foundation operates four distribution hubs in military-controlled zones, using American private security contractors. According to Associated Press reporting, these contractors have used live ammunition and stun grenades against Palestinians seeking aid. Two anonymous US contractors told AP they were disturbed by what they considered dangerous practices.
An internal report by Safe Reach Solutions, the logistics company running the sites, found that aid seekers were injured during 31% of distributions in a two-week June period, according to AP.
UN officials and over 170 humanitarian organizations have condemned the GHF system. According to a joint statement reported by Amnesty International, the groups called it a “deadly, military-controlled alternative” that forces Palestinians into “overcrowded, militarized zones” where they face “daily gunfire and mass casualties.”
Water Crisis Reaches Critical Levels
Gaza’s water infrastructure has collapsed amid the ongoing conflict and blockade. According to UN OCHA reports, only 40% of drinking water facilities remain functional, with 93% of households experiencing water insecurity by mid-June.
“If the current more than 100-day blockade on fuel coming into Gaza does not end, children will begin to die of thirst,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder warned at a June 20 press briefing, calling it “a man-made drought.”
According to Doctors Without Borders, water is being used as a “weapon of war,” with Israeli authorities cutting electricity and fuel essential for operating desalination plants and water pumps. The organization reported that Khan Younis’ main desalination plant output decreased by 85%, from 17 million to 2.5 million liters daily.
Humanitarian Access Severely Restricted
UNRWA has not been able to bring humanitarian supplies into Gaza for over four months since March 2, according to multiple situation reports. No fuel has entered Gaza since that date, threatening the collapse of water systems, hospitals, and bakeries.
Nine UN agencies warned Saturday that Gaza’s fuel shortage had reached “critical levels.” According to OCHA, “Hospitals are already going dark, maternity, neonatal and intensive care units are failing, and ambulances can no longer move.”
This week marked the first time in 130 days that 75,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza – “far from enough to meet the daily needs of the population,” the UN stated.
Conflicting Accounts and Attribution
While Palestinian health officials and witnesses consistently report Israeli forces firing on civilians at aid sites, Israeli military officials have provided varying explanations. In Saturday’s incident near Nasser hospital that killed 24 people, the IDF claimed there were “no known injured individuals” from IDF fire, while a military official separately acknowledged warning shots were fired, according to the BBC.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation disputed UN casualty figures, with CEO Johnnie Moore telling the BBC that attributing “100% of those casualties” to proximity to GHF sites was “not true.”
International Response
The humanitarian crisis has drawn condemnation from international bodies. The International Court of Justice, in its March ruling, stated Palestinians in Gaza face not just risk but actual famine conditions. According to Wikipedia’s compilation of statements, officials from China, UAE, Germany, France, and Britain have all described the situation as catastrophic.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, at least 57,882 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 taken hostage.
More than 90% of Gaza’s homes are damaged or destroyed, according to the BBC. The healthcare system has collapsed, and over 85% of Gaza’s territory is now under Israeli displacement orders or within militarized zones, UNRWA reports indicate.
