Israeli strike on Gaza seafront cafe kills at least 20 Palestinians, witnesses and rescuers say

At least 20 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike and hit a famous café on the waterfront used by activists, journalists and local residents in West Gaza City on Monday, according to paramedics and eyewitnesses.

Rescue teams evacuated 20 bodies and dozens of wounded cafeteria, a place in the open air that consists of tents along the beach.

He added that the emergency crews are still looking through a deep hole that the explosion left.

The Israeli army later said it had hit many Hamas terrorists in northern Gaza and that he was reviewing the incident.

“I was on my way to the cafe to use the Internet a few meters away when a huge explosion hit,” Aziz Al -Afifi, a photographer with a local production company, told the BBC.

“I ran to the scene of the accident. My colleagues were there, people I met every day. The scene was horrific – bodies, blood, screaming everywhere.”

It seems that the videos posted by activists on social media appear at the moment when a missile was received, which was launched from an Israeli war plane, which struck the area. The attack footage was picked up, with corpses scattered over the ground.

The firm cafeteria has become a well -known space for journalists, activists and workers remotely, as it provides access to the Internet, sitting, and work space along the Mediterranean coast in Gaza.

The Israeli army said in a statement that the strike targeted Hamas agents, but it did not specify them.

“Before the strike, steps were taken to alleviate the risk of harm to civilians using air control,” he added. “The accident is under review.”

Witnesses said that the attack came after Israel carried out a wave of weather strikes through the Gaza Strip overnight, which led to the mass displacement of hundreds of Palestinian families.

Rescue teams regained the bodies of five people, while dozens of injured civilians were evacuated to Al -Ahly Hospital in Gaza City, according to local reports.

Bombing It follows one of the largest evacuation orders It has been issued since the war was resumed in March.

It comes amid increasing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to re -focus efforts to reach the ceasefire agreement.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump said on social media that Netanyahu was working to negotiate a deal with Hamas “Now”. This came after days A senior Hamas official said The mediators have intensified their efforts to mediate a new ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, but those negotiations with Israel are still suspended.

The ceasefire collapsed for two months in March when Israel launched new strikes on Gaza. The ceasefire deal – which started on January 19 – was supposed to be three stages, but did not exceed the first stage.

Israel followed this with a full siege on humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza, which partially retreated after 11 weeks after pressure from the United States’ allies and warnings of hunger from international experts.

Partial mitigation witnessed the establishment of the United States and Israeli relief group, Gaza Humanitarian Corporation (GHF). Since GHF took the distribution operations, there have been almost daily incidents of killings and Palestinian injuries asking for help.

Eyewitnesses and paramedics blamed Israel, although Israel said it had only fired warning footage of people who considered a threat.

The residents of Gaza City said that dozens of Israeli air strikes targeted the east intense neighborhoods, including Shujaya, Toufah, and Zeton.

The videos posted by activists on social media were taken scenes of chaos and explosions that illuminate the night sky, followed by fire and thick columns of smoke that rises above the horizon.

According to what was reported, one of the strikes struck a school in Zaitoun, who was protecting the displaced families.

“The explosions have never stopped … I felt earthquake,” Salah, 60, from Gaza City, told Reuters.

The father of the five added: “In the news, we hear the ceasefire, on the ground we see death and hear explosions,” and added the five father.

According to what was reported, the five deaths occurred in a strike in the Al -Shatti camp, to the west of Gaza City.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had previously ordered the population to leave large parts of northern Gaza, in anticipation of the attacks. Most of these displaced moved overnight in the west inside Gaza City instead of the southern region, according to instructions from the Israeli Defense Army.

“We had no choice but to leave everything behind,” said Abeer Talba, a seven -year -old mother who fled Zaion with her family.

“We received phone call recordings in Arabic telling us that we were in the fighting area and we must sit immediately.

“This is the seventh time that we forced us to flee,” she added. “We are in the streets again, no food, no water. My children are starving. Death feels gently from this.”

In the midst of the growing humanitarian crisis, fears are escalating that evacuation orders and ongoing air strikes are part of a broader Israeli plan to expand its terrestrial attack in a deeper way in Gaza.

But there is also speculation in the Israeli media that some generals are about to conclude that military operations in Gaza are close to achieving them.

This is also the point of view of many former army leaders who are afraid that the Gaza campaign would be a more drained war, similar to guerrilla warfare, will lead to more deaths-hostages, civilians and soldiers.

The coming moves of the Israeli Prime Minister are closely monitored. While Benjamin Netanyahu’s instincts have always been the continuation of war and the defeat of Hamas, it is exposed to increasing pressure at home and abroad to follow up the new ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli army launched its bombing of Gaza in response to the attack, as about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken into account.

More than 56,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health in the region.

Additional reports by Hafa Khalil