ISLAMABAD (PEN) : At least 95 Palestinians, among them women, children, and a journalist, lost their lives on Monday due to a series of Israeli airstrikes that struck multiple civilian locations across Gaza. The attacks hit a seaside café, a school sheltering displaced families, and a hospital courtyard, intensifying the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.
Deadly Strikes at Café and School
Gaza’s health authorities reported that 62 fatalities occurred in Gaza City and northern Gaza. One of the deadliest attacks targeted Al-Baqa café in northern Gaza City, killing 39 people, including journalist Ismail Abu Hatab.
Eyewitness Yahya Sharif described the devastation: “We found people torn apart. This place wasn’t affiliated with anyone — no politics and no militants. Just families trying to find a brief moment of normalcy.”
Al Jazeera’s Gaza correspondent Hani Mahmoud confirmed the attack happened “without any warning,” leaving behind a large crater. “This area served as a refuge for many traumatised and displaced people. The explosion was so intense that body parts had to be collected from the flood of the site,” he added.
Elsewhere, Israeli forces bombed Yafa school in Gaza City, which was serving as shelter to hundreds of displaced Palestinians. Local resident Hamada Abu Jaradeh recounted that evacuees received only a five-minute warning before the strike.
Hospital Targeted Amid Rising Attacks on Medical Facilities
In central Gaza, the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah was struck by Israeli fire. Verified video footage showed damaged tents and panicked civilians fleeing. Al Jazeera journalist Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from nearby, noted this was the tenth attack on the hospital compound since the conflict began.
“This is a staggering concentration of attacks on medical facilities, adding further burden to Gaza’s already crippled health sector,” Abu Azzoum said.
Condemnation and Impact on Humanitarian Aid
Gaza’s Government Media Office condemned the strikes, calling them a “systematic crime” against Gaza’s health system. A statement detailed: “Its warplanes bombed a tent for the displaced inside the walls of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, causing injuries and threatening the lives of dozens of patients.”
In southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, an airstrike near an aid distribution centre operated by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) killed at least 15 Palestinians and injured 50 more, according to Nasser Medical Complex sources.
The GHF, overseeing limited aid deliveries since late May under Israel’s blockade, reported nearly 600 civilian casualties from attacks on its aid hubs over the last month.
The Israeli military acknowledged civilian casualties in these strikes and claimed new operational directives had been issued based on “lessons learned.” However, Israeli media outlet Haaretz reported that soldiers were instructed to use excessive force against unarmed civilians at aid sites, quoting unnamed personnel.
Ongoing Ground Operations and Evacuations
Residents of Khan Younis reported ongoing home demolitions and expressed fears of a renewed ground offensive. Forced evacuations were ordered again in northern Gaza areas, including the Zeitoun suburb, which had seen previous Israeli troop withdrawals after extensive destruction.
Salah, a 60-year-old father from Gaza City, said: “Explosions never stopped; they bombed schools and homes. It felt like earthquakes. They talk of ceasefire in the media, but on the ground, we see death.”
Israeli tanks reportedly advanced into eastern Zeitoun while airstrikes destroyed at least four schools after families were ordered to evacuate. At least 10 people died in the Zeitoun attacks, with another 13 killed southwest of Gaza City.
International Pressure and Human Rights Concerns
The recent wave of attacks comes amid growing global calls for Israel to end its 22-month military campaign in Gaza. Human rights organizations and the United Nations have accused Israel of systematically targeting hospitals, aid centres, and civilian shelters, raising serious concerns about potential war crimes.
