Latest news with #AlBaqaCafe
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Local journalist among 74 dead in latest Israeli strikes on Gaza
The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for northern Gaza, forcing a new wave of displacement for residents. At least 74 people were killed in heavy Israeli strikes across Gaza, including 30 at Al-Baqa Cafe and multiple fatalities among those seeking food aid. Witnesses reported indiscriminate firing by Israeli soldiers at Palestinians seeking aid, leading Doctors Without Borders to condemn the current aid distribution as a "slaughterhouse'. Israeli tanks pushed into eastern Zeitoun and shelled northern areas, while aircraft bombed schools after ordering sheltering families to leave. Discussions continue on a potential ceasefire deal, with Hamas linking progress to Israel ending the war, while Israel maintains its goal of disarming Hamas.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Health
- Arab News
74 killed in Gaza as Israeli forces strike a cafe and fire on people seeking food
CAIRO: Israeli forces killed at least 74 people in Gaza on Monday with airstrikes that left 30 dead at a seaside cafe and gunfire that left 23 dead as Palestinians tried to get desperately needed food aid, witnesses and health officials said. One airstrike hit Al-Baqa Cafe in Gaza City when it was crowded with women and children, said Ali Abu Ateila, who was inside. 'Without a warning, all of a sudden, a warplane hit the place, shaking it like an earthquake,' he said. Dozens were wounded, many critically, alongside at least 30 people killed, said Fares Awad, head of the Health Ministry's emergency and ambulance service in northern Gaza. Two other strikes on a Gaza City street killed 15 people, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the casualties. A strike on a building killed six people near the town of Zawaida, according to Al-Aqsa hospital. The cafe, one of the few businesses to continue operating during the 20-month war, was a gathering spot for residents seeking Internet access and a place to charge their phones. Videos circulating on social media showed bloodied and disfigured bodies on the ground and the wounded being carried away in blankets. Meanwhile, Israeli forces killed 11 people who had been seeking food in southern Gaza, according to witnesses, hospitals, and Gaza's Health Ministry. Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis said it received the bodies of people shot while returning from an aid site associated with the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund. It was part of a deadly pattern that has killed more than 500 Palestinians around the chaotic and controversial aid distribution program over the past month. The shootings happened around 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the GHF site in Khan Younis, as Palestinians returned from the site along the only accessible route. Palestinians are often forced to travel long distances to access the GHF hubs in hopes of obtaining aid. Nasser Hospital said an additional person was killed near a GHF hub in the southern city of Rafah. Another person was killed while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, which separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Awda hospital. Ten other people were killed at a United Nations aid warehouse in northern Gaza, according to the Health Ministry's ambulance and emergency service. Witnesses describe Israeli gunfire One witness, Monzer Hisham Ismail said troops attacked the crowds returning from the GHF hub in Khan Younis. 'We were targeted by (the Israeli) artillery,' he said. Yousef Mahmoud Mokheimar was walking with dozens of others when he saw troops in tanks and other vehicles racing toward them. They fired warning shots before firing at the crowds, he said. 'They fired at us indiscriminately,' he said, adding that he was shot in a leg, and a man was shot while attempting to rescue him. He said he saw troops detaining six people, including three children. 'We don't know whether they are still alive,' he said. The Israeli military said it was reviewing information about the attacks. In the past, the military has said it fires warning shots at people who move suspiciously or get too close to troops including while collecting aid. Israel wants the GHF to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups. Along with the United States, Israel has accused the militant Hamas group of stealing aid and using it to prop up its rule in the enclave. The UN denies there is systematic diversion of aid. The Israeli military said it had recently taken steps to improve organization in the area, including the installation of new fencing and signage and the opening of additional routes to access aid. Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, accusing the militants of hiding among civilians because they operate in populated areas. Strikes in and around Gaza City intensify The military intensified its bombardment campaign across Gaza City and the nearby Jabaliya refugee camp. On Sunday and Monday, Israel issued widespread evacuation orders for large swaths of northern Gaza. Palestinians reported massive bombing overnight into Monday morning, describing the fresh attacks as a 'scorched earth' campaign that targeted mostly empty buildings and civilian infrastructure. 'They destroy whatever left standing … the sound of bombing hasn't stopped,' said Mohamed Mahdy, a Gaza City resident who fled his damaged house Monday morning. Awad with the emergency and ambulance services said that most of Gaza City and Jabaliya have become inaccessible and ambulances were unable to respond to distress calls from people trapped in the rubble. The Israeli military said it had taken multiple steps to notify civilians of operations to target Hamas' military command and control centers in northern Gaza. The war has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. It says more than half of the dead were women and children. The Hamas attack n October 2023 that sparked the war killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 others hostage. Some 50 hostages remain, many of them thought to be dead.
ABC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
At least 30 dead in Israeli strike on internet cafe in Gaza popular with journalists
A seafront cafe in Gaza known for its public internet connection frequented by journalists, media workers, activists and students has been the target of the latest deadly strike by the Israeli military. Warning: This story contains images and details that may distress some readers. Gaza's civil defence agency said that at least 30 people — including women, children and multiple journalists — were killed and dozens more injured in an Israeli strike on Al-Baqa Cafe. One of the few businesses to continue operating during the war, the cafe was a popular gathering spot for those seeking internet access, phone chargers and a place to work. "The place is always crowded with people because [it] offers drinks, family seating and internet access," eyewitness Ahmed Al-Nayrab 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." Among the dead was 32-year-old Palestinian photojournalist and film director Ismail Abu Hatab. Ismail Abu Hatab was known for curating photo exhibitions detailing the horrors of life in Gaza, including the immersive photography exhibition Between the Sky and the Sea, which was recently shown in Los Angeles. He was previously injured in an Israeli air strike while working at the Al-Ghafari tower in November 2023, he said in an interview last year to NDTV World. Well-known Palestinian journalist Bayan Abu Sultan was also among the dozens injured at the cafe, multiple media outlets confirmed. At least 227 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the UN Human Rights Office, which condemned what it called the Israeli military's pattern of killings of journalists in Gaza. Israeli military attacks reportedly killed 18 journalists in May 2025 alone, it added in a statement. The Palestinian Journalist Syndicate confirmed that more than 220 journalists had been killed in Gaza since the war began. Monday's strike came amid the latest offensive of the 20-month war, which started when Hamas militants entered Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking a further 251 hostage. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry. Since the war began, the Gaza Strip has experienced at least 10 partial and full communication and internet outages, limiting the flow of information to and from Gaza and preventing journalists from reporting. Between June 10 and 21, the Gaza Strip experienced a complete internet outage and widespread mobile phone interruptions, which the Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority described as "systematic targeting". The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (also known as Reporters sans Frontières or RSF) both allege that Israel is directly targeting journalists in Gaza, something which Israel denies. "Israeli forces have done everything in their power to prevent coverage of what is happening in Gaza, and have systematically targeted journalists who have taken tremendous risks to do their jobs," RSF campaign director Rebecca Vincent said. Palestinian journalist Gathi Sabbah, 65, last month told The Journal that some public internet access points or cafes had become targets for Israeli drones. "Even going to a cafe carries real risk to our lives," he told Palestinian journalist Hana Salah at The Journal. "Many people have lost their lives just by being there, even though they were civilians." Gaza's government media office said it condemned "in the strongest terms the systematic targeting, killing and assassination of Palestinian journalists" by Israeli forces. In May, Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna was killed in an Israeli air strike just one day after she found out a documentary about her life in Gaza was to premiere in Cannes. Approached for comment by AFP, the Israeli army said it was "looking into" the reports of the attack at Al-Baqa Cafe. ABC/wires
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Israeli strike on Gaza seafront café ‘kills more than 40'
More than 40 people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a seafront Gaza café on Monday, the head of the enclave's largest hospital said. Rescue teams were filmed carrying injured people and bodies away from the Al-Baqa Cafeteria near Gaza City's port in the aftermath of the attack. Thick smoke was seen rising from the scene, as well as widespread damage to the café and surrounding areas. Speaking to CNN, Dr Mohammad Abu Silmiya, from the Al-Shifa hospital, said at least 41 people had been killed and 75 injured. Fares Awad, head of the strip's Hamas-run health ministry's emergency and ambulance service, said many of the wounded were in critical condition. The attack was reportedly carried out with a missile fired from an Israeli warplane. The Israeli military said it was looking into the circumstances around the strike. The Al-Baqa cafe was a popular gathering spot for journalists, students and remote workers, and one of the few places left with regular internet access and electricity to charge phones. An Israeli outlet reported that the target of the strike was Hasham Mansour, the son of a former Hamas military commander killed by Israel several months ago. It added that Mansour and 33 Gazans were killed in the attack. Al-Shifa Hospital said that two other strikes on Gaza City killed 15 people on Monday. The attacks came after Avichay Adraee, the IDF's Arabic spokesman, warned of extensive strikes to come across Gaza City and other areas and said the military was 'operating with extreme force'. Benjamin Netanyahu is under increasing pressure at home and abroad to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and bring home the remaining hostages held in the enclave. In a social media post on Saturday, Donald Trump said the Israeli prime minister was working on negotiating a deal with Hamas 'right now'. It came days after a senior Hamas official said mediators were intensifying efforts to reach a new deal, but that negotiations remain stalled. Ron Dermer, the Israeli strategic affairs minister, is in Washington DC on Monday for high-level meetings about a final deal for Gaza, before mediated talks between Israel and Hamas are expected to resume.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Israeli strikes kill at least 60 in Gaza, say medical staff
At least 60 people have been killed in Gaza in some of the heaviest Israeli strikes in weeks, as the besieged strip endures relentless bombardment in the 20-month war. The Israeli military issued evacuation orders on Monday to residents in large districts in the northern Gaza Strip, forcing a new wave of displacement. At least 30 people were killed and dozens were wounded after the airstrike on Al-Baqa Cafe in Gaza City, the emergency and ambulance service in Northern Gaza said. Women, children and a local journalist were among those killed in the strike, medics said. Fares Awad, the head of the ambulance service, said many of the wounded were in critical condition. The cafe, one of the few businesses to continue operating during the war, was a gathering spot for residents seeking internet access and a place to charge their phones. Videos on social media showed bloodied and disfigured bodies on the ground and the wounded being carried away in blankets. Israeli tanks also pushed into the eastern areas of Zeitoun suburb in Gaza City and shelled several areas in the north, while aircraft bombed at least four schools after ordering hundreds of families sheltering inside to leave, residents said. At least 58 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Monday, health authorities said, including 10 people killed in Zeitoun and at least 13 killed southwest of Gaza City. The Israeli military said it struck militant targets in northern Gaza, including command and control centers. The military claims to have taken steps to mitigate the risk of harming civilians. The bombardment followed new evacuation orders to vast areas in the north, where Israeli forces had operated before and left behind wide-scale destruction. The military ordered people there to head south, saying that it planned to fight Hamas militants operating in northern Gaza, including in the heart of Gaza City. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu 's security cabinet was expected to convene to discuss the next steps in Gaza. Israel 's military chief said on Friday the present ground operation was close to having achieved its goals, and on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said new opportunities had opened up for recovering the hostages, 20 of whom are believed to still be alive. A Hamas official said that progress on any ceasefire depends on Israel changing its position and agreeing to end the war and withdraw from Gaza. Israel says it can end the war only when Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said Israel has agreed to a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and hostage deal, and put the onus on Hamas. The proposed US ceasefire stipulates Hamas must release half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians. Hamas would then release the remaining hostages as part of a deal that guarantees ending the war. The war began when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel on 7 October 2023, killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took 251 hostages back to Gaza. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry, displaced almost the whole 2.3 million population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis.
