7 children killed in Israeli strike while lining up for nutritional supplements in central Gaza

Sara Jabakhanji · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 10, 2025 10:47 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

At slightest seven children were killed by an Israeli onslaught successful wide daylight portion waiting successful enactment for nutritional supplements adjacent a aesculapian centre successful cardinal Gaza connected Thursday, wellness officials say.

The bodies of the children, covered successful blood, were lined up on the level of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital arsenic relatives came up to clasp them 1 by one.

Gaza's Health Ministry said the onslaught successful Deir al-Balah happened astatine astir 9:15 a.m. connected Thursday, sidesplitting astatine slightest 16 people, including 7 children betwixt 1 and 14 years of age.

Abu Hassan Bashir, 38, was successful the country astatine the clip of the onslaught and rushed to assistance astatine the country of the attack.

"I held 2 children who were martyred," Bashir told CBC News freelance videographer Mohamed El Saife.

"This tiny Zionist rocket ripped isolated the children and turned them into martyrs," helium said, pointing at a tiny crater successful the crushed which appeared to person been near aft the strike.

He besides pointed to the humor stains covering the curbs astatine the site, wherever children's slippers had been near behind, adding that astir days, the enactment of women and children lasting determination was overmuch longer than the 1 connected Thursday morning.

"If [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu delayed the onslaught a bit, determination would person been 100 martyrs due to the fact that of however engaged it gets here," Bashir said, adding that aesculapian centre provides nutritional supplements and ailment treatment for children and large women.

Families' screams capable infirmary halls

In Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, wherever those wounded and killed successful the onslaught were taken, families' cries filled the halls.

Nidal Al-Nouri said helium was talking to his 14-year-old girl Sama yesterday astir their hopes for a ceasefire to instrumentality spot to beryllium capable to instrumentality to school.

"Sama's gone and the warfare remains. God consenting this warfare volition extremity with her death," helium said.

Israel claimed that successful its Thursday attack, it had struck a militant who took portion successful the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks that triggered the war, though the subject didn't provide evidence. It said it was alert of reports regarding a fig of injured individuals and that the incidental was nether review.

Videos connected Thursday verified by Reuters showed a country of carnage, with the bodies of dormant and injured, chiefly women and children, lying successful humor amid a unreality of particulate arsenic radical screamed each around.

Khalil al-Deqran, spokesperson for Gaza's Health Ministry, said galore of those injured successful the onslaught had suffered terrible wounds to the caput and chest.

Samah al-Nouri said her girl had been killed successful the morning's onslaught aft attending the session to question attraction for a pharynx ailment.

"They deed her with a shell. Her member went to cheque and helium said they each died," she said. "What did they do? What's their fault? She was lone getting attraction successful a aesculapian facility. Why did they termination them?"

Hospitals look dire substance shortage

Israeli attacks connected Palestinian hospitals and wellness facilities, detentions of medics and restrictions connected the introduction of aesculapian supplies person drawn condemnation from the United Nations.

The United Nations humanitarian bureau OCHA said successful May that the UN had documented astatine slightest 686 attacks impacting wellness attraction in Gaza since the warfare began.

Meanwhile, dwindling substance supplies hazard further disruption successful the semi-functioning hospitals that stay arsenic deaths equine successful the territory. Doctors said they are being forced to spot up to 5 premature babies who are successful captious condition in 1 incubator owed to the imposed shortage of substance successful Gaza.

The latest deaths travel arsenic Israeli and Hamas negotiators clasp talks with mediators successful Qatar implicit a projected 60-day ceasefire and hostage merchandise woody aimed astatine gathering statement connected a lasting truce.

WATCH | Gaza ceasefire woody not apt to beryllium secured this week: 

However, a elder Israeli authoritative said connected Wednesday that an statement was not apt to beryllium secured for another one oregon 2 weeks.

Israel's subject run in Gaza has killed astatine slightest 57,680 people, according to Palestinian wellness authorities. It has destroyed swaths of the territory and driven most Gazans from their homes, displacing them aggregate times successful the 21-month-long war.

The Hamas onslaught connected Israeli borderline communities that triggered the warfare killed astir 1,200 radical and the militant radical seized astir 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.