2014 Gaza war beach bombing incidents
The 2014 Gaza war beach bombing incidents refers to two incidents that took place during the 2014 Gaza War on 9 and 16 July. In the first incident, Israeli missiles killed nine Palestinian children and young adults while they were following the 2014 FIFA World Cup on TV; in the second, four Palestinian children were killed by Israeli naval fire while playing on a beach.
| 2014 Gaza war beach bombing incidents | |
|---|---|
| Part of 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict | |
Khan Yunis Gaza City 2014 Gaza war beach bombing incidents (the Gaza Strip) Khan Yunis Gaza City 2014 Gaza war beach bombing incidents (State of Palestine) | |
| Location | Khan Yunis and Gaza City, Gaza Strip |
| Date | 9 and 16 July 2014 |
Attack type | Airstrike, naval fire |
| Deaths | 13 |
| Victims | Palestinian youth |
| Perpetrators | Israel Defense Forces |
The second attack was conducted in front of hotels that sheltered foreign journalists, several of whom witnessed the Israeli shelling, and at least one of whom described the targeting of the children as intentional. Several eyewitnesses have remarked that, even at a distance, it was clear that the targets of the Israeli attack were children.
According to an Israeli investigation, the second was a 'tragic mistake'. But the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, reviewing the evidence, found that the Israeli military had failed in its obligations to adopt feasible measures to avoid or minimize incidental harm to civilians.