CAIRO. At least 74 Palestinians were killed across Gaza on Monday after a series of Israeli airstrikes and gunfire incidents, including a devastating attack on a crowded seaside cafe and multiple shootings of civilians seeking food aid, according to health officials and eyewitnesses.
One airstrike hit the Al-Baqa Cafe in Gaza City, killing at least 30 people and injuring dozens more. The cafe, which had remained open during the ongoing conflict, was frequented by residents looking for internet access and a place to charge their phones.
“Without warning, all of a sudden, a warplane hit the place, shaking it like an earthquake,” said Ali Abu Ateila, who was inside the cafe during the strike.
Fares Awad, head of the Health Ministry’s emergency and ambulance service in northern Gaza, confirmed the number of casualties and said many of the wounded were in critical condition.
Elsewhere in Gaza City, two airstrikes on a street killed 15 people, while a separate strike on a building near the town of Zawaida left six dead, according to reports from Shifa and Al-Aqsa hospitals.
In southern Gaza, 11 people were shot and killed by Israeli forces as they returned from an aid distribution site linked to the Israeli and U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF). Witnesses said the shootings occurred about three kilometers from the distribution point in Khan Younis, along the only accessible return route. Nasser Hospital received the victims’ bodies.
The Health Ministry’s emergency services also reported that 10 people were killed in a separate incident at a United Nations aid warehouse in northern Gaza.
“We were targeted by (the Israeli) artillery,” said Monzer Hisham Ismail, who had been returning from the GHF hub.
Yousef Mahmoud Mokheimar, who was walking with others in the area, said Israeli forces in tanks fired warning shots before opening fire directly at the group. He was shot in the leg while another man was hit trying to help him. Mokheimar said he saw six people, including three children, being detained. “We don’t know whether they are still alive,” he added.
The Israeli military said it is reviewing reports of the incidents. It has previously been stated that it fires warning shots at individuals who appear suspicious or get too close to troops, including during aid distribution.
Israel has promoted the GHF as a replacement for the United Nations-led aid distribution network, accusing Hamas of diverting aid, a claim the U.N. denies.
In northern Gaza, Israel has stepped up bombardments across Gaza City and the Jabaliya refugee camp, issuing new evacuation orders. Residents described the overnight strikes as a “scorched earth” campaign targeting civilian infrastructure.
“They destroy whatever is left standing… the sound of bombing hasn’t stopped,” said Mohamed Mahdy, who fled his damaged home Monday morning.
According to Awad, large portions of Gaza City and Jabaliya are now inaccessible, and emergency teams are unable to reach victims trapped under rubble.
The Israeli military stated it had notified civilians of its operations targeting Hamas command centers and said new fencing, signage, and routes had been established to improve aid access.
Since the war began in October 2023, over 56,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says more than half were women and children. The war was sparked by a Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages, about 50 of whom are believed to remain in captivity, many presumed dead.
