Grim aftermath of Israeli missile strike on busy Gaza cafe described by witnesses

July 1, 2025

Jason Burke Burke in Jerusalem and Malak A Tantesh in Gaza

Witnesses have described the bloody aftermath of an Israeli strike on a crowded seaside cafe in Gaza, which left at least 24 dead and many more injured on Tuesday.

Al-Baqa cafe, close to the harbour in Gaza City, was almost full in the early afternoon when it was hit by a missile, immediately transforming a scene of relative calm amid the biggest urban centre in Gaza into one of carnage.

A Palestinian man carries away the body of a relative killed in the Israeli strike on al-Baqa cafe. Photograph: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images