18 hours ago
Al-Baqa cafe in Gaza was a place of refuge for Palestinians before it was bombed
The beach cafe that was bombed by Israel on Monday, leading to the deaths of 24 Palestinians, was a place that people came to temporarily escape the atrocities and obtain internet connection, AFP reported on Tuesday.
Prior to the war, al-Baqa cafe was full of life and a place that was popular with intellectuals and artists.
Prior to being bombed on Monday, the kitchens were closed since no food is entering Gaza except limited humanitarian aid, but it was still possible to sit there, with one's back to the destruction of Gaza.
A few weeks ago, the cafe was able to offer internet connection again, attracting its pre-war clientele.
Maher al-Baqa, 40, the brother of the owner of the cafe, told AFP, "It's one of the most well-known cafes on the Gaza coast, frequented by educated youth, journalists, artists, doctors, engineers and hardworking people".
"Young people were fleeing the tragedies and difficult conditions in Gaza," he recalled. "They came for work appointments or just to take a breather. They used to feel free and safe there - it was like a second home to them. The occupier (Israel) betrayed these people and bombed the place without any justification."
Still in shock, Mr Baqa said he lost four employees and three family members, including two nephews, in the strike.
The Israeli army told AFP on Tuesday that the strike had targeted "several Hamas terrorists" and that "measures [had] been taken [...] to reduce the risk of harming civilians," while specifying that it was an "incident [...] under review".
The military maintained it had taken steps "to mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance".
