Eight Palestinians, including women and four Hamas members, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a cafe in the seaport area west of Gaza City on Tuesday.
The strike also caused the injury of ten others, the majority of them women and children seeking respite from the summer heat.
Eyewitness Ibrahim Ghattas described the chaotic scene. "We were sitting there safely when we were suddenly hit by two missiles that struck the area with great force. We rushed to rescue people. It was a massacre, there were body parts, and women and children among the dead and injured. Many displaced people were here, as well as people who had come to relax and spend some time outside. It was shocking for all of us," he said.
The place is a shelter for hundreds of Palestinian displaced families who live out in this seaport for many months now.
One displaced resident, Abu Samir Asaliya, shared his experience, saying, "My daughter and I were sitting at the entrance of our tent when the missile suddenly struck. We thought our own tent had been hit. When we looked outside, there were many people here who had come to escape the heat and spend some time outside. They were torn apart."
Abeer Hammam, another displaced Palestinian, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the tragedy that unfolded as families sought safety.
"We are displaced and living here at the port. The missile struck people here, children and women who were sitting at the cafe. We saw what happened, how some were torn apart and others were injured. There were victims everywhere, adults, children and young people," she said.
Hamas condemned the airstrike, saying it is apparently aimed at sabotaging the ongoing efforts for a ceasefire or for moving forward towards that second phase of the ceasefire, which involves Hamas' disarmament.
The attack came amid renewed diplomatic efforts to advance talks on the Gaza ceasefire plan.
U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks on Monday and have agreed to establish two working groups to advance the demilitarization of Gaza and address infrastructure and public health needs in the war-devastated enclave.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu rejected a U.S.-backed 15-point roadmap for Gaza, insisting Israel will not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed. Hamas, in turn, tied any progress to arrangements concerning a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, and future administration of the enclave.
Eight killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza seaport cafe
Eight killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza seaport cafe
