At least 20 Palestinians were killed on Monday when an Israeli airstrike hit Al-Baqa Cafeteria, a popular open-air beachside venue in western Gaza frequently visited by journalists, activists, and residents, according to medics and eyewitnesses.
Emergency crews recovered 20 bodies and evacuated numerous injured individuals from the cafe, which consisted of canvas tents along the seafront, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defence told the BBC. He said teams were still combing through debris and a large crater left by the explosion.
“I was just meters away, heading to the café to use the internet when a massive blast struck,” said Aziz Al-Afifi, a local cameraman. “When I reached the site, it was utter devastation—bodies, blood, screams… it was horrifying.”
Footage shared on social media appeared to show the moment a missile, reportedly fired by an Israeli warplane, struck the area. Later scenes depicted the chaos that followed—bodies scattered, smoke rising.
Al-Baqa Cafeteria had become a well-known hub on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast, catering to freelancers and media workers by offering Wi-Fi and outdoor workspace.
The Israeli military has not issued a comment on the strike.
The attack came amid a wave of overnight Israeli air raids across Gaza, which witnesses say triggered mass displacement. Dozens of casualties were reported, including five people killed and many injured in strikes on Gaza City, with many transported to Al-Ahli Hospital.
These strikes followed one of the largest evacuation orders since the war resumed in March. While the IDF directed civilians in northern Gaza to head south, many reportedly moved westward within Gaza City.
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“We were told to evacuate immediately or risk death,” said Abeer Talba, a mother of seven who fled Zeitoun. “This is the seventh time we’ve had to run. We’re on the streets again—no food, no water. My children are starving.”
Amid rising civilian casualties, critics fear Israel’s evacuation orders and continued aerial campaign signal preparations for a broader ground incursion. Some former Israeli military officials have expressed concern that Gaza operations risk devolving into prolonged urban warfare with high tolls for both sides.
Meanwhile, pressure continues to build on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both domestically and abroad, to pursue a new ceasefire. The current violence follows the collapse of a two-month truce in March—after only one of its three planned phases was implemented.
Since then, humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza have been severely restricted, with only partial relief allowed under international pressure. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—a controversial US- and Israeli-backed group—has taken over aid distribution, but nearly daily reports of violence against civilians attempting to access aid persist.
Residents in densely populated eastern Gaza neighborhoods like Shujaiya, Tuffah, and Zeitoun describe relentless bombardment. One strike reportedly hit a school sheltering displaced families in Zeitoun.
“Explosions never stopped,” said Salah, 60, from Gaza City. “They felt like earthquakes. We hear about ceasefires on the news—on the ground, there is only death and fire.”
The Israeli assault began in response to an attack last year that killed around 1,200 people and saw over 250 taken hostage.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, over 56,000 people have been killed since then.
(BBC)
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