At least 15 Palestinians, including eight children and two women, were killed Thursday morning when an Israeli airstrike hit civilians waiting in line for nutritional supplements outside a clinic in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. The victims had gathered in front of the Altayara health clinic, operated by US-based aid group Project Hope, when the explosion occurred.
The al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed the death toll, saying many more were wounded. Harrowing video footage from the hospital showed the lifeless bodies of children laid out on blood-soaked floors as medics battled to save survivors.
“This is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law,” said Rabih Torbay, President and CEO of Project Hope. “Our clinics are a place of refuge. Yet, this morning, innocent families were mercilessly attacked as they stood in line waiting for the doors to open.”
Witnesses described a sudden explosion as a drone flew overhead. “The ground shook beneath our feet, and everything around us turned into blood and deafening screams,” said Yousef al-Aydi.
Graphic scenes from the aftermath circulated on social media, later verified by the BBC, showed women and children lying motionless in the street. At the local mortuary, grief-stricken relatives performed funeral rites. One woman, Intisar, said her pregnant niece Manal and her daughter Fatima were among the dead, while Manal’s son remains in intensive care. “She was queuing to get the children supplements when the incident happened,” she said.
Another woman, devastated, asked: “For what sin were they killed?”
The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas militant allegedly involved in the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel. In a statement, the IDF said: “The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals,” and added that the incident was under review.
However, Project Hope insists no militants were near the clinic, calling the strike unjustifiable and demanding accountability.
Elsewhere in Gaza, 37 additional people were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes, including five in the al-Mawasi area when a drone hit a cluster of tents. The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency posted videos of responders retrieving the bodies of young children from beneath sand and rubble.
The latest wave of violence came as ceasefire negotiations continued in Doha, mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. Despite US optimism, both sides appear far from reaching an agreement.
Hamas has accused Israel of being inflexible, stating that while it has agreed to release 10 hostages, it demands a “comprehensive” ceasefire that ends the Israeli offensive. A senior Israeli official said a deal could take up to two weeks and warned that if Hamas refuses to disarm, Israel will resume full-scale military operations.
Since Israel launched its military campaign in response to the Hamas-led October 7 attack — which killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages — the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 57,700, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Gaza’s infrastructure has been decimated: over 90% of homes have been damaged or destroyed; the healthcare system is in collapse; and shortages of food, water, and medicine have pushed the territory to the brink of famine.
Thursday’s deadly clinic strike has drawn fresh attention to the dire humanitarian situation and raised new questions about the protection of civilians and aid operations under international law.
“This cannot continue,” said Project Hope’s Torbay. “No one and no place is safe in Gaza.”
Chioma Kalu
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