Strike on al-Baqa killed a Hamas operative, but many more people were killed

Moments earlier than the explosion, artists, college students and athletes have been amongst these gathered at a bustling seaside cafe in Gaza Metropolis.

Huddled round tables, prospects at al-Baqa Cafeteria have been scrolling on their telephones, sipping scorching drinks, and catching up with mates. At one level, the acquainted melody of “Completely happy Birthday” rang out as a younger baby celebrated with household.

In a quiet nook of the cafe overlooking the ocean, a Hamas operative, wearing civilian clothes, arrived at his desk, sources advised the BBC.

It was then, with out warning, {that a} bomb was dropped by Israeli forces and tore by the constructing, they stated.

On the sound of the explosion, individuals close by flooded onto the streets and into al-Baqa in a determined seek for survivors.

“The scene was horrific – our bodies, blood, screaming all over the place,” one man advised the BBC later that day.

“It was complete destruction,” stated one other. “An actual bloodbath occurred at al-Baqa Cafeteria. An actual bloodbath that breaks hearts.”

The BBC has reviewed 29 names of individuals reported killed within the strike on the cafe on Monday. Twenty-six of the deaths have been confirmed by a number of sources, together with by interviews with household, mates and eyewitness accounts.

At the least 9 of these killed have been girls, and a number of other have been youngsters or youngsters. They included artists, college students, social activists, a feminine boxer, a footballer and cafe employees.

The conduct of the strike and the size of civilian casualties have amplified questions over the proportionality of Israel’s army operations in Gaza, which the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) say are geared toward defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages nonetheless being held by the group.

Relations in Gaza and overseas spoke to the BBC of their shock and devastation on the killings.

“We have been speaking with one another two days in the past. We have been sending reels to one another. I am unable to imagine it,” stated a younger Palestinian man residing within the US whose 21-year-old “bestie” Muna Juda and one other shut pal, Raghad Alaa Abu Sultan, have been each killed within the strike.

The numbers of deaths analysed by the BBC have been broadly according to figures given by the Hamas-run Civil Defence Company, a senior native medic and the Palestinian Crimson Crescent within the days after the strike.

Workers at Shifa Hospital, which obtained the our bodies, stated its toll as of Thursday had reached 40 deaths, together with individuals who had succumbed to their accidents, and unidentified our bodies.

An official on the hospital stated a number of the our bodies had been “blown to items”, and that 72 injured sufferers have been introduced there – many having sustained extreme burns and important accidents that required surgical procedure. He stated many have been college students.

In an announcement after the strike, the IDF stated it had been concentrating on “terrorists” and that steps have been taken to “mitigate the chance of harming civilians utilizing aerial surveillance”.

“The IDF will proceed to function towards the Hamas terrorist group with a view to take away any risk posed to Israeli civilians,” it added, earlier than saying the “incident” was “below evaluation”.

The IDF didn’t straight reply to a number of BBC questions concerning the goal of the strike, or whether or not it thought of the variety of civilian casualties to be proportionate.

Al-Baqa Cafeteria was well-known throughout the Gaza Strip, thought of by many to be among the many territory’s most scenic and vibrant assembly spots.

Cut up over two flooring and divided into males’s and combined household sections, it had views out to the Mediterranean Sea and tv screens the place individuals might watch soccer matches. It was a spot to assemble for espresso, tea and shisha with mates, and was a selected favorite with journalists.

Al-Baqa had remained standard even in the course of the conflict, particularly due to its unusually steady web connection. The cafe, which had till now survived largely unscathed, additionally served up a reminder of the life that existed earlier than the bombardments.

A restaurant supervisor advised the BBC that there was a strict entry coverage. “It was recognized to our prospects that if any particular person regarded like a goal, then they weren’t let contained in the cafeteria – this was for our security and the protection of the individuals there,” he stated.

On the day of the strike, the port space of Gaza Metropolis the place the cafe is positioned was not below Israeli evacuation orders, and households of these killed on Monday say they’d felt as protected as is feasible when heading there.

Workers advised the BBC that the strike within the early afternoon – between the Muslim prayers of Zuhr and Asr – was exterior of the cafe’s busiest hours.

The strike hit a bit of the lads’s space the place employees stated few individuals have been on the time.

BBC Confirm confirmed a number of consultants images of the crater left within the wake of the explosion and the remaining munition fragments. Most stated that they believed it was brought on by a bomb, relatively than a missile, with a spread of dimension estimates given, at a most of 500lb (230kg).

The IDF advised the BBC it could not touch upon the kind of munition used.

A journalist who was within the space on the time of the strike and spoke to eyewitnesses instantly afterwards advised the BBC the munition that hit the cafe “was launched from a warplane – not from a drone that might normally goal one or two individuals… It regarded like they have been very eager on getting their goal”. His account was according to others we spoke to.

Twenty-seven-year-old Hisham Ayman Mansour, whose deceased father had been a number one determine in Hamas’ army wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, was amongst these within the males’s part by the ocean.

His brother was beforehand killed by Israeli forces, and one social media publish mourning his dying urged the brother had taken half within the 7 October 2023 assaults.

An area Hamas supply stated Hisham was the goal of the strike, and described him as a subject commander with the group, a “mid-ranking position”.

Tributes posted on social media additionally referred to him as a “fighter” and “member of the resistance”. His cousin additionally described him to the BBC as a “fighter” with the proscribed group, however stated he thought he was “low-level” and never presently energetic.

It’s unclear what he was doing within the cafe that day, with two sources telling the BBC he was believed to be there for a “cash drop”, whereas one other urged he was there for “espresso and a brief respite” and that he had not been concerned in “militant actions” in the course of the conflict.

A photograph shared on social media purported to point out Hisham on the similar spot within the males’s space of the cafe the day earlier than the strike, carrying a cap and sports activities t-shirt. Pictures of his physique after the strike in the identical outfit have been shared by household and mates.

Two members of his household – considered one of them a toddler – have been additionally killed.

The IDF wouldn’t affirm whether or not Hisham was the first goal, or considered one of plenty of targets of the strike.

One former senior IDF official advised the BBC he understood that “a number of Hamas operatives” have been hit on the cafe, however {that a} so-called battle injury evaluation was nonetheless ongoing. A supply with Israeli intelligence connections pointed in direction of a social media publish naming Hisham because the goal.

Sources in Gaza gave the BBC the identify of a extra senior Hamas commander who was rumoured to have been seated on a close-by desk, however posts on social media stated he died the next day and didn’t point out the cafe.

The Hamas supply stated Hisham was the one particular person throughout the group killed at al-Baqa, whereas the IDF didn’t reply to questions concerning the commander.

An anti-Hamas activist advised the BBC that “many Hamas individuals” have been injured within the strike, together with one who labored with the group however not as a fighter, who misplaced his leg within the explosion.

Medics couldn’t affirm this account, however stated that they handled many individuals with extreme accidents, together with these arriving with lacking limbs or requiring amputations.

Israel doesn’t permit worldwide journalists entry to Gaza to report on the conflict making it troublesome to confirm info, and Hamas has traditionally dominated the territory with an iron grip, making talking out or any dissent harmful.

The rest of this text comprises particulars some readers could discover distressing.

Among the many our bodies and the particles in al-Baqa have been traces of the civilian lives misplaced – a large pink and white teddy bear, its stuffing partially uncovered, a toddler’s tiny shoe, and enjoying playing cards soaked in blood.

A displaced man who was within the space seeing household on the time of the strike was amongst those that went working into the cafe to attempt to discover survivors.

“Shrapnel was all over the place… there have been many accidents,” he advised the BBC.

He stated when he entered a part of the lads’s part that he discovered the our bodies of waiters and different staff, and noticed as one “took his final breath”.

“It was loopy,” stated Saeed Ahel, a daily on the cafe and pal of its managers.

“The waiters have been gathered across the bar because it was shady and breezy there. Round [six] of them have been killed,” he added, earlier than itemizing their names. Extra have been injured.

The mom of two younger males who labored on the cafe screamed as she adopted their our bodies whereas they have been carried on a sheet out of the wreckage on Monday.

A distraught man pointed at a dry patch of blood on the ground, the place he stated bits of mind and cranium had been splattered. He had put them in a bag and carried them out.

In the meantime, the grandmother of 17-year-old Sama Mohammad Abu Namous wept.

{The teenager} had gone to the cafe that afternoon along with her brother, hoping to make use of the web connection to review. Family stated the siblings have been strolling into the beachside cafe when the bomb hit. Sama was killed, whereas her brother was rushed to hospital.

“She went to review they usually killed her,” she stated. “Why did she must return to her grandmother killed?”

The coach of younger feminine boxer Malak Musleh stated he was in shock on the lack of his pal of greater than 10 years, having first realized the information of her killing by social media.

“She believed that boxing was not only for boys however that ladies ought to have the proper too,” Osama Ayoub stated. “Malak was bold. She did not skip any coaching day.”

He stated he final noticed Malak about 10 days earlier than the strike, when he dropped off some help to her and her father.

“We sat collectively for practically an hour. She advised me that she was persevering with her coaching along with her sister and wished I might prepare them. I advised her sadly as a result of my home received demolished I reside now in Khan Younis [in southern Gaza], however as quickly as I hear that there’s a ceasefire I’ll strive to return to coaching,” he stated.

“She stated to ensure to maintain an area for them… She had ardour in her eyes and her phrases.”

When Osama noticed the Fb publish by Malak’s father saying her dying, he “did not imagine it”.

“I referred to as him and he confirmed it however I nonetheless do not imagine it,” he stated over the telephone from a displacement camp.

Artist Amina Omar Al-Salmi, higher generally known as Frans, was additionally on the cafe with a widely known photographer pal.

For the reason that 35-year-old’s dying, considered one of her items depicting a lifeless lady along with her eyes closed and coated in blood, has been shared extensively on-line alongside a picture of her after her dying, with individuals noting the hanging similarities.

Her sister, now residing in Sweden, advised the BBC that the final time they spoke, Frans had stated that she was positive “one thing good was going to occur”.

“She was comfortable and stated: ‘We’ll meet quickly. You may see me at your home.'”

Extra reporting by Riam El Delati and Muath al-Khatib

Verification by Emma Pengelly and Richie Irvine-Brown