Gaza boy killed in Israeli airstrike while fetching water, father says he 'just wanted a sip'
Mahmoud Abdul Rahman Ahmed said his son Abdullah had taken a few jerrycans on Sunday morning and headed to a water distribution point at the urban Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza- something he did regularly.
'That area was full of displaced families, people broken by the war and the siege. Abdullah was among the children waiting with empty stomachs and parched lips,' he told a local journalist working with the BBC.
'Just as the children and other thirsty residents gathered, warplanes bombed the area without warning.'
A graphic video verified by the BBC showed the chaotic aftermath of the strike in the New Camp area of Nuseirat. Footage captured destroyed buildings, women screaming for help, and yellow jerrycans scattered across the rubble. Several bodies, including children, were seen lying motionless.
According to Al-Awda Hospital, the attack killed 10 people, including six children, and injured at least 16 others. Among the young victims were Badr al-Din Qaraman, Siraj Khaled Ibrahim, Ibrahim Ashraf Abu Urayban, Karam Ashraf al-Ghussein, Lana Ashraf al-Ghussein, and Abdullah.
The Israeli military acknowledged it had targeted a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad but said a technical error caused the munition to miss its intended target by several metres. It expressed regret over civilian casualties and said the incident was under review.
But Abdullah's father believes the strike was part of a larger message.
'Israel wants to show that it won't even allow people to drink the water they desperately seek,' he said, adding that his son's dreams would now remain unfulfilled.
The UN has warned that Gaza is facing a 'human-made drought' due to fuel shortages, damaged infrastructure, and ongoing conflict. Many people are receiving less than 15 litres of water per day — far below emergency standards.
'You see children queuing up daily with yellow jerrycans, waiting for trucks that bring just 5 or 10 litres of water,' said Sam Rose, acting Gaza director for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
'This death is emblematic of a larger tragedy. But sadly, it's one of many,' he added. Just days earlier, 10 children and three women were killed while waiting for food supplements at a clinic in nearby Deir al-Balah.
UNICEF chief Catherine Russell called the incidents 'horrific' and urged Israel to urgently review its rules of engagement and uphold international humanitarian law. The UN Security Council is expected to meet later this week to discuss the situation of children in Gaza.
However, Israel's UN representative claimed the blame lies with Hamas, accusing the militant group of using civilians as human shields.
Back in Nuseirat, Abdullah's father had a stark message for the world: 'We are civilians. We have no weapons, no power. All we want is for this war and this massacre to stop.'
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