Israeli strike on Gaza port cafe kills at least six
An Israeli airstrike has hit a cafe inside Gaza City's fishing harbour, killing at least six Palestinians and wounding 14, according to Gaza medics. The strike took place in western Gaza City, in an area that has become a displacement site during the war. Witnesses and local officials said the attack struck the "Sweet and Bitter" cafe in the port area.
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Israel's military said it carried out a precise aerial strike against Hamas commanders and other militants. It said one of those targeted had taken part in the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war. Gaza's civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, said the dead included a child and that a large number of people were wounded in the raid on tents of displaced people at Gaza port.
The strike adds to the continuing toll of the war in Gaza, where civilian areas have repeatedly been affected by military operations. The fishing harbour area has been used by displaced Palestinian families, making any attack there significant for both humanitarian and security reasons. Hamas said a child was among those killed and accused Israel of trying to undermine efforts linked to a US-backed plan to end the war.
The incident comes a day after Jared Kushner, the US president's son-in-law and envoy, ended a visit to the region without a breakthrough. He had met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and later held talks with mediators and Hamas leaders in Egypt over ways to advance the plan. According to the account provided, both Israel and Hamas have remained firm on their main demands, leaving the wider diplomatic track unresolved.
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The war began in October 2023 after the Hamas-led attack on Israel, and Gaza's port area has since become part of a broader displacement landscape. The Israeli military said it took steps to reduce harm to civilians, while Hamas did not say whether any of its commanders or other militants were killed. The group rarely confirms casualties among its own ranks, which makes the outcome of such strikes difficult to verify independently.
What remains unclear is whether the intended targets were killed and how many of the wounded were civilians. It is also not clear how the strike will affect the latest diplomatic efforts around the Gaza plan. Further statements from the Israeli military, Gaza health officials, or mediators may clarify the scale of the losses and the immediate consequences.
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