Gaza Strike Kills 8 Children Near Aid Point as Ceasefire Talks Stall

At least 15 Palestinians, among them eight children and two women, were killed in an Israeli airstrike near a medical aid station in central Gaza on Thursday, July 10, 2025.

This account was according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

The victims were reportedly queuing for nutritional supplements in Deir al-Balah when the strike occurred, hospital staff said.

Graphic footage from inside the hospital shows the lifeless bodies of several children and other victims strewn across the floor as emergency workers attend to the wounded.

The Israeli military claims its strike targeted a “Hamas terrorist” involved in the group’s Nukhba elite forces but acknowledges “regret for harm to uninvolved individuals” and that the incident is currently “under review.”

In addition to the deaths in Deir al-Balah, 26 more Palestinians lost their lives in other parts of Gaza on Thursday.

This comes amidst continuing indirect ceasefire and hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Doha.

The U.S., alongside Qatari and Egyptian mediators, has expressed optimism about reaching a deal, though key sticking points remain unresolved.

At Al-Aqsa Martyrs mortuary, grieving relatives wept as they wrapped the bodies of children in white shrouds and prepared them for funeral prayers.

One woman, identified as Intisar, told the BBC her pregnant niece Manal and the niece’s daughter Fatima were among the deceased.

Manal’s young son remains in intensive care.

“She was standing in line for nutritional aid for children when it happened,” Intisar said.

Another woman questioned, “For what sin were they killed? We are dying before the entire world. If the Israeli army doesn’t kill us, we perish trying to access aid.”

In its official statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had eliminated a Hamas operative linked to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

“The IDF is aware of reports about injured civilians and is reviewing the incident,” it added.

The military expressed regret for any civilian casualties.

This deadly strike occurred concurrently with high-stakes diplomatic talks in Doha.

Despite intense mediation efforts, both sides have yet to bridge the remaining gaps.

On Wednesday evening, a senior Israeli official in Washington said reaching a ceasefire agreement could take one to two weeks.

The source, speaking during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit, explained that any interim 60-day ceasefire would include conditional terms: Hamas would be expected to disarm, failing which Israel would resume military operations.

Hamas, for its part, criticized Israeli negotiators for their “intransigence,” while asserting its own flexibility, including agreeing to release 10 hostages.

However, the group is demanding a comprehensive agreement that provides firm guarantees for an end to Israeli military operations in Gaza.

The current Israeli offensive is a direct consequence of the deadly October 7 Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of 251 hostages.

Since then, Gaza has endured severe bombardment.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, at least 57,680 Palestinians have died in Gaza due to the conflict.

The war has displaced a vast majority of Gaza’s population multiple times.

Over 90% of residential units are either damaged or completely destroyed.

Basic services – healthcare, water, sanitation, and hygiene—have collapsed.

Shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and shelter are chronic, creating a humanitarian disaster.

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