An Israeli airstrike on a popular beachfront coffee shop in Gaza City on Monday afternoon resulted in the deaths of over two dozen Palestinians and injured many more, as reported by local medical workers.
Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, confirmed that more than 30 individuals were killed and over 50 were wounded in the strike on the cafe, with many of the injured in critical condition. The Gaza health ministry has yet to provide an official count of casualties.
The Israeli military did not respond to inquiries regarding the airstrike.
The targeted Baqaa Cafe and Restaurant was a popular spot for Gazans to escape the heat, utilize the internet, study, or gather with others. This attack occurred a day after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for parts of Gaza City and northern Gaza, indicating a potential escalation in military operations.
A photographer on the scene reported that the cafe was devastated, with blood covering the area and debris scattered from the explosion. Tables and seating were destroyed, and personal belongings littered the ground.
In a statement, Hamas condemned the airstrike, describing it as an attack on innocent civilians at a rest stop and labeling it a significant escalation in the Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza City.
Many residents of Gaza City and other northern areas had previously fled their homes due to earlier evacuation warnings. However, following a two-month cease-fire over the winter, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned home, anticipating a continuation of the truce. Instead, fighting resumed in mid-March, along with a blockade on humanitarian aid that lasted until late May, exacerbating challenges for the roughly two million residents of Gaza who have faced repeated displacements throughout the conflict.
The Israeli government stated that one objective of the blockade was to compel Hamas to release hostages taken during the militant group's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Pressure has mounted on Israel from President Trump to negotiate an end to the conflict, but indirect discussions with Hamas have stalled. Israel's demands for an end to the war include Hamas's surrender, disarmament, and exile for its leaders, conditions that Hamas has consistently rejected.
The attack by Hamas on Israel resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, primarily among civilians, according to Israeli authorities. In retaliation, Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has resulted in over 56,000 fatalities, as reported by the Gaza health ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians but states that more than half of the casualties are women and children.