Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip have killed at least 30 people on Sunday, 17 of which at a water collection point, including six children, according to local health officials.
Separately, Hamas authorities said an Israeli strike hit a group of citizens walking in the street on Sunday afternoon in central Gaza City, killing 11 people and injuring around 30 others.
Dr. Ahmed Qandil, who specializes in general surgery, was among those killed, Gaza's Health Ministry said. A ministry spokesperson, Zaher al-Wahidi, told the Associated Press that Qandil had been on his way to Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital.
Concerning the deadly strike at the collection point, the Israeli Defence Force said there had been a technical error:
“Earlier today a strike was carried out targeting a terrorist operative from the Islamic Jihad organization in the central Gaza Strip. Due to a technical malfunction in the munition, it struck dozens of meters away from the intended target”.
“The incident is under investigation. We are aware of reports of casualties in the area as a result, and the details of the incident are still being reviewed,” the military added.
Truce talks deadlocked
Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas appeared no closer to a breakthrough in indirect talks aimed at pausing the war and free more Israeli hostages after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Washington visit last week.
Netanyahu defended his efforts against critical reporting in the Israeli Hebrew press in a video update posted to his X account: “It was a very successful visit, following a major victory in Iran… We have a lot of tasks to do, and I’m determined to complete them”.
Responding to claims that he and his government are obstructing a deal, Netanyahu charges that Hebrew-language media “are always echoing Hamas propaganda, and they’re always wrong.”
A new sticking point has emerged over Israeli troops deployment during a ceasefire. Israel says it will end the war only once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something Hamas refuses to do.
Hamas says it is willing to free all the remaining 50 hostages, about 20 of them said to be alive, in exchange for an end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Throughout the war in Gaza, violence has also surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Funerals were held there Sunday for two Palestinians, including visiting Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet, who was killed by Israeli settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Musallet's family has requested that the US State Department investigate his death and hold the settlers accountable. The State Department said it had no comment out of respect for the family.
