At least 41 people were killed and 75 injured in an Israeli airstrike on a popular cafe in Gaza City, according to the head of Gaza’s largest hospital.
Dr. Mohammad Abu Silmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, confirmed the toll late Monday. He said many of the victims were women, children, and students using the cafe for internet access.
The strike hit the Al-Baqa cafe near Gaza’s Mediterranean port. The venue was a well-known gathering spot for students, journalists, and remote workers. It had recently reopened after years of closure, offering internet and electricity in a region suffering daily blackouts.
CNN geolocated videos showing heavy smoke, rubble, and bodies being carried on stretchers. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN they are reviewing the incident.
“Earlier today, the IDF struck several Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip,” a military statement said. “Steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance.”
But those on the ground tell a different story.
“She was studying for her high school exam,” said the aunt of 17-year-old Sama Abu Namous, one of the victims. “We suddenly find out she’s killed… Children are dying every day. What are we negotiating over? The blood of our children?”
Café manager Said Ahel said the airstrike killed 11 employees and injured five more. A birthday party was happening at the time. “We reopened this year to help residents vent, study, and access internet,” Ahel said.
The venue, founded two decades ago, had become a safe haven for learning and gathering. That changed within seconds.
Al-Shifa Hospital struggled to handle the influx of victims. “We are treating the injured on the floor—no rooms or beds are available,” Dr. Silmiya told CNN. “We are also short of ICU beds and anesthetics.”
Among the dead was freelance journalist Ismail Abu Hatab, colleagues confirmed. His death brings the number of journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023 to 228, according to the Hamas-run Government Media Office.
This latest strike comes amid heated debate in Israel’s leadership over the future of the war in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on July 7. A source told CNN that Netanyahu wants to secure a ceasefire before that visit.
However, Netanyahu faces internal resistance.
Far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich push for an intensified bombardment of Gaza. Others, like Aryeh Deri, support a comprehensive hostage deal that could end the war. “We are wasting time and losing opportunities,” Ben Gvir reportedly told aides.
Trump has also ramped up pressure. On Friday, he said he expects a ceasefire “within a week.”
Israel’s top officials met for two days to debate their next move. No final policy emerged, but sources say Netanyahu wants to act fast before his U.S. trip.
On Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel’s operations in Iran had opened “many opportunities,” including chances to bring home hostages.
As international leaders push for peace, civilians in Gaza continue to pay the price. In a space meant for learning, laughter, and life, dozens lost their futures in an instant.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.