Israeli bombings on Monday attacked several civilian locations around Gaza, including a hospital courtyard, a school housing displaced families, and a beachside café, killing at least 95 Palestinians, including women, children, and a journalist.
62 of the deaths, according to Gaza’s health authorities, happened in Gaza City and the northern regions of the embattled enclave. Journalist Ismail Abu Hatab was among the 39 individuals killed in one of the bloodiest attacks, which struck the Al-Baqa café on the northern Gaza City beachfront.
Children had gathered for a birthday celebration in the cafe, and witnesses recounted a terrifying scene there. One of the survivors, Yahya Sharif, claimed, “We found people torn apart.” There were no militants or political affiliations with this location. Just families looking for a little peace and quiet.
According to Hani Mahmoud, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Gaza, the attack came “without any warning” and left a huge crater in its wake. Many displaced and traumatized persons found safety in this area. Body pieces had to be retrieved from the site’s inundation since the explosion was so powerful,” he continued.
The Yafa school in Gaza City, which was providing shelter to hundreds of displaced Palestinians, was also bombed by Israeli forces. Hamada Abu Jaradeh, a local who left minutes before the attack, claimed that evacuees were only given a five-minute notice.
Israeli fire hit the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. Videos confirmed by Al Jazeera showed terrified villagers running for their lives and destroyed tents.
Tareq Abu Azzoum, a journalist for Al Jazeera who was broadcasting in the area, claimed the explosion was unexpected and the eighth attack of that nature on the hospital complex since the conflict began.
Mr. Abu Azzoum stated, “This is an incredible concentration of attacks on medical facilities, adding further burden to Gaza’s already crippled health sector.”
The strikes were denounced as a “systematic crime” against the health system of Gaza by the Government Media Office. “Dozens of patients were injured and their lives were in danger when its warplanes bombed a tent for the displaced inside the walls of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital,” the statement said.
According to reports at the Nasser Medical Complex, an attack near an aid distribution center run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is supported by the US and Israel, killed at least 15 Palestinians and injured 50 others in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Nearly 600 civilians have been killed in attacks on the GHF’s assistance hubs in the last month since the organization started managing limited aid delivery in late May, amidst Israel’s continued siege.
The Israeli military admitted that the attacks on the aid center had injured civilians and stated that new guidelines had been published in light of “lessons learned.” But according to Israeli news agency Haaretz, which cited anonymous sources who claimed willful use of excessive force, soldiers were told to shoot defenseless individuals at the locations.
Khan Younis residents also feared a new ground offensive and reported more home demolitions. In areas of northern Gaza, such as the Zeitoun district, where Israeli troops had previously withdrawn after causing extensive damage, forced evacuation orders were once more issued.
Explosions continued, bombing homes and schools. “It was like an earthquake,” said Salah, 60, a Gaza City father of five. “On the ground, we witness death, despite the media’s talk of a ceasefire.”
According to reports, Israeli tanks advanced into the eastern Zeitoun region, and when civilians who were taking refuge there were told to leave, airstrikes destroyed at least four schools. The Zeitoun strikes claimed the lives of at least ten civilians, while 13 more perished southwest of Gaza City.
According to reports, Israeli tanks advanced into the eastern Zeitoun region, and when civilians who were taking refuge there were told to leave, airstrikes destroyed at least four schools. The Zeitoun strikes claimed the lives of at least ten civilians, while 13 more perished southwest of Gaza City.
The most recent assaults occur as pressure from around the world increases on Israel to end its 22-month military campaign in Gaza, which rights organizations claim has severely damaged the enclave’s infrastructure and healthcare system. Israel has been accused of routinely targeting hospitals, relief centers, and civilian shelters by the UN and several human rights organizations, raising serious concerns about possible war crimes.
