Latest news with #Al-Baqa
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Deadly strike on seafront Gaza cafe ‘under review', says Israel army
The Israeli army said Tuesday that it launched a review into a strike on a seafront Gaza cafe it says targeted militants, but which rescuers said killed 24 people. A Palestinian man inspect the damage at Al-Baqa cafeteria which was devastated in an Israeli strike on the Gaza City seafront on June 30.(AFP) In a statement to AFP regarding the incident, the army said it had struck "several Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip". Gaza's civil defence said at least 24 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in Monday's strike on the Al-Baqa cafe, a prominent venue along Gaza City's coastal promenade. An army spokesperson said that "prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance". "The incident is under review," he added. The cafe and restaurant, which had so far survived more than 20 months of war and intense bombings on the Palestinian territory, had become a gathering spot for those not displaced by the conflict. "There's always a lot of people at that spot, which offers drinks, spaces for families, and internet access," said Ahmad al-Nayrab, 26, who was walking on the nearby beach when he heard a loud explosion. "It was a massacre," he told AFP. "I saw bits of bodies flying everywhere, bodies mangled and burned. It was a bloodcurdling scene; everybody was screaming." An AFP photographer said Palestinian journalist Ismail Abu Hatab was among those killed in the strike. Israeli restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and authorities in the territory. Qatar, which has mediated between Israel and Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, said on Saturday a "window of opportunity" had opened for a potential Gaza truce following a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. So far, no concrete signs of renewed talks have emerged. Israel launched its campaign in response to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Of the 251 hostages seized during the assault, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 56,531 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.
IOL News
a day ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Israeli forces kill 48 in Gaza as ceasefire calls intensify
A Palestinian man inspect the damage at Al-Baqa cafeteria which was devastated in an Israeli strike on the Gaza City seafront. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 48 people on Monday, including 21 at a seafront rest area, as fresh calls grew for a ceasefire in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The swift resolution of Israel's 12-day war with Iran has revived hopes for a halt to the fighting in Gaza, where more than 20 months of combat have created dire humanitarian conditions for the population of more than two million. US President Donald Trump has recently urged Israel to "make the deal in Gaza", while key mediator Qatar said Monday that "momentum" had been created by the truce with Iran last week. But on the ground, Israel has continued to press its offensive across the Palestinian territory in a bid to destroy the militant group Hamas. Gaza's civil defence agency said 48 people had been killed by Israeli forces on Monday, including 21 in a strike on a seafront rest area near Gaza City. "The place is always crowded with people because the rest area offers drinks, family seating and internet access," eyewitness Ahmed Al-Nayrab, 26, told AFP, recalling a "huge explosion that shook the area". "I saw body parts flying everywhere, and bodies cut and burned... It was a scene that made your skin crawl." Another eyewitness, Bilal Awkal, 35, said "blood covered the ground and screams filled the air". "Women and children were everywhere, like a scene from a movie about the end of the world." Approached for comment by AFP, the Israeli army said it was "looking into" the reports. The Hamas government media office reported that photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab was among those killed in the strike. Israeli restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and authorities in the territory.
CNN
a day ago
- Politics
- CNN
Israeli strike on cafe near Gaza City port kills dozens, hospital official says
More than 30 people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit a café near the port in Gaza City, according to the head of the territory's largest hospital. Dr. Mohammad Abu Silmiya, the director of Al-Shifa hospital, said in an update on Monday afternoon that at least 31 people had been killed and 70 injured in the strike. Videos geolocated by CNN show thick smoke rising from the scene as well as widespread damage to the café and the surrounding area. They also showed bodies being removed on stretchers. The Israel Defense Forces told CNN it was looking into the circumstances around the strike. The Al-Baqa café was a well-known spot for students, journalists and remote workers, as it offered internet and a place to work by the Mediterranean coast. Silmiya told CNN that 'most of the casualties are women and children,' including many students who were at the cafe for internet access. He also said the hospital was short of ICU beds and anesthetics to treat the casualties. 'We are treating the injured on the hospital floor as no rooms and hospital beds are available,' the hospital director added. Among those killed was a freelance journalist, Ismail Abu Hatab, according to other journalists at the scene. The Hamas-controlled Government Media Office said his death brought to 228 the number of journalists killed by Israeli military action in Gaza since October 2023. This is a developing story and will be updated.
