Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened senior ministers and defense officials Sunday after a misdirected Israeli airstrike killed six children at a water collection site in central Gaza, adding pressure to already stalled ceasefire negotiations taking place in Doha. The strike, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attributed to a technical failure during an operation targeting an Islamic Jihad operative, was one of multiple deadly incidents over the weekend that left more than 130 Palestinians dead.
The IDF said its munition struck “dozens of meters” from its intended target and that an investigation was underway. Gaza’s Al-Awda Hospital reported that 10 civilians, including six children, were killed at the water site. In a separate incident, another 12 were killed at a busy junction in central Gaza. Israel said it targeted Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad infrastructure, with 150 sites hit in 24 hours, including weapons depots and tunnel systems.
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The Israeli military also denied responsibility for the deaths of at least 25 people near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza on Saturday, despite reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross that its field hospital had received 132 wounded and 31 dead from the area. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which runs the site, said no incident occurred at its facilities.
The rising civilian toll has renewed calls for a truce. A proposal under negotiation would include a staged release of 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others, with the IDF withdrawing in phases from Gaza. Netanyahu blamed Hamas for blocking the deal, saying in a video, “We accepted the deal. … Hamas rejected it.” He emphasized that no agreement would be accepted that allowed Hamas to retain power or rearm.