IDF says it killed Commander Hamas during a cafe strike, killing dozens of civilians


Israeli forces said they killed Hamas’ commander of the naval force in northern Gaza during a strike at a seaside cafe, and dozens of civilians were killed.

Family members in Gaza and abroad expressed shock to the BBC on the scale of civilian casualties following Monday’s attack on Gaza’s popular AL-BAQA cafe.

The strike killed Ramsey Ramzi Ramzi Abd Ali Saleh, as well as Hisham Ayman Atiya Mansour and Nissim Muhammad Suleiman Abu Sabu, deputy head of the Hamas mortar department, the IDF said in a statement on Sunday.

The IDF said Saleh was an “important source of knowledge” within Hamas and was involved in planning and advancing “maritime terrorist attacks.”

Sources in Gaza have previously told a senior BBC Hamas commander in a cafe during a strike.

The IDF also said steps have been taken to “miscue the risk of harming civilians” but did not provide further details on why many people were killed in the incident.

The BBC reviewed the names of 29 people killed during a cafe strike, at least nine of whom were women, while several were children and teenagers.

Those killed include artists, students, social activists, female boxers, football players and cafe staff.

Staff at SHIFA Hospital, which obtained the body from the attack, said the losses as of Thursday had been killed, including succumbing to injured people and unidentified bodies.

An official at the hospital said some bodies were “blown” and 72 injured patients were taken there – many suffering from severe burns and major injuries that require surgery.

The Al-Baqa buffet restaurant is well known on the Gaza Strip, and many consider it one of the most scenic and vibrant conference attractions in the region.

Even during the war, it was still very popular, especially due to its unusually stable internet connection.

The IDF did not directly answer multiple questions about the BBC, namely whether it believes that civilian casualties are proportional.

In a statement Sunday, it said it “will continue to target Hamas terrorist groups to eliminate any threat posed to Israeli civilians” and then said the “event” was “under review.”

Meanwhile, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas began in Qatar on Sunday, discussing the latest proposals for a ceasefire in Gaza and hostage release agreement.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and another 251 were taken hostage.

At least 57,338 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health in the region.



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