GAZA CITY – At least 95 Palestinians, including women, children, and a journalist, were killed on Monday in a series of Israeli airstrikes that struck multiple civilian locations across the Gaza Strip, including a coastal café, a school sheltering displaced families, and a hospital courtyard.
Gaza’s health authorities reported that 62 of the casualties occurred in Gaza City and the surrounding northern areas. One of the deadliest strikes targeted the Al-Baqa café in northern Gaza City, claiming the lives of 39 people, including journalist Ismail Abu Hatab.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as horrific. Survivors said families, including children celebrating a birthday, were caught in the blast. “We found people torn apart,” said Yahya Sharif. “This place had no political affiliation—just families seeking a moment of peace.”
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reported from the scene, confirming the strike came “without warning,” creating a massive crater. He noted the location had become a makeshift refuge for displaced and traumatized civilians. “The explosion was so powerful that body parts were scattered across the area,” he said.
In a separate strike, the Yafa school in Gaza City, which was sheltering hundreds of displaced individuals, was also bombed. Survivor Hamada Abu Jaradeh said evacuees were given only a five-minute warning before the attack.
Further south in central Gaza, the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah was also hit. Verified footage showed extensive damage to tents and panic among civilians. Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting nearby, confirmed it was the tenth attack on the hospital since the conflict began. “The pressure on Gaza’s already overwhelmed healthcare system is unprecedented,” he said.
Gaza’s Government Media Office denounced the airstrike as a “systematic attack” on healthcare infrastructure. “Warplanes bombed tents for the displaced inside the Al-Aqsa Hospital compound, endangering patients and staff,” read an official statement.
In southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, 15 more people were killed and over 50 injured in a strike near an aid distribution centre run by the U.S.- and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Medical staff at the Nasser Complex confirmed the toll, adding that GHF aid stations have seen nearly 600 civilian fatalities over the past month.
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The Israeli military acknowledged civilian casualties in the aid centre strike and stated that “new instructions” had been issued following an internal review. However, Israeli outlet Haaretz cited unnamed military personnel alleging that troops were ordered to open fire on unarmed civilians—raising further concerns over the use of excessive force.
In Zeitoun, a suburb in northern Gaza, Israeli tanks reportedly re-entered areas previously vacated, demolishing homes and intensifying shelling. At least 10 people died in the Zeitoun strikes, and another 13 were reported killed southwest of Gaza City. Local residents, already displaced multiple times, described a night of continuous bombardment. “The ground shook like an earthquake,” said Salah, a father of five. “They speak of ceasefires, but all we see is more death.”
Reports also confirmed that at least four schools sheltering displaced families were destroyed after brief evacuation orders. Many fear a renewed ground offensive may be imminent.
The latest surge in attacks comes amid increasing global calls for Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza, now entering its 22nd month. Human rights organizations and UN agencies have accused Israel of targeting critical civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and aid facilities, potentially constituting war crimes under international law.