A Gaza strike on a busy seaside café killed 24 people on Monday, sparking international concern and prompting Israel to launch a formal review of the incident. The Israeli army claimed the target was a group of Hamas fighters in northern Gaza.

However, local civil defense teams said dozens of civilians were killed and injured in the Al-Baqa café strike, a venue that had become one of the few remaining gathering places in war-torn Gaza City.

Israel’s Response to Gaza Strike

Israel’s military claimed it targeted “several Hamas terrorists” in the area, though it did not clarify what threat they posed at the time. Gaza residents described the café as one of the few remaining escapes in the city offering drinks, internet access, and space for families during more than 20 months of nonstop conflict.

Eyewitness Ahmad al-Nayrab called the blast a “massacre,” saying, “I saw bits of bodies flying everywhere, bodies mangled and burned.” Journalists and aid workers face heavy restrictions in Gaza, making it difficult to independently verify casualty figures. However, the United Nations considers data from the territory’s health ministry to be reliable.

Civilians Bear the Brunt

The Gaza strike comes amid stalled truce talks. Qatar recently pointed to a “window of opportunity” for a ceasefire. Hamas launched its October 7 attack, killing over 1,200 people in Israel and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israel began sustained air and ground operations.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israeli strikes have killed at least 56,531 people, mostly civilians. The United Nations considers these figures reliable. As the war enters its 21st month, the rising death toll and destruction continue to draw global criticism.