Key facts
- An Israeli airstrike killed at least 15 Palestinians, including eight children and two women, in Deir Al Balah, Gaza.
- The victims were queuing for nutritional supplements outside a health clinic run by the aid group Project HOPE.
- The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas militant and is reviewing the incident, expressing regret for civilian harm.
- Graphic footage showed injured and motionless children in the aftermath of the strike.
- Aid organizations described the attack as a violation of international humanitarian law and highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
An Israeli airstrike on Thursday killed at least 15 Palestinians, including eight children and two women, who were gathered outside a health clinic in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza, to receive nutritional supplements. The Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported the casualties, with the youngest victim being a 17-month-old child.
The Israeli military stated that it targeted a Hamas militant involved in the October 7 attacks and that the incident is under review. The IDF expressed regret for any harm to uninvolved individuals and emphasized its efforts to minimize civilian casualties.
Project HOPE, a US-based aid organization that runs the clinic, confirmed the strike occurred directly in front of its Altayara health clinic. The organization's CEO, Rabih Torbay, stated that the clinic's location had been shared with the Israeli military and was considered a deconflicted site, calling the attack a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.
Witnesses described hearing a drone and then an explosion, with graphic footage showing injured and motionless children in the aftermath. Relatives mourned the dead at the hospital, with one woman recounting the loss of her pregnant niece and daughter.
Aid workers and medical officials described the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, with hundreds of people being killed and injured daily while attempting to access aid. They noted a lack of food in markets and the closure of bakeries, emphasizing the exhaustion and despair of the population. Despite Israel's partial lifting of the blockade, access to aid and medicine has not improved.