GAZA CITY — Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip killed dozens of Palestinians on Wednesday, including people gathered at a seaside cafe in Gaza City, according to Palestinian health authorities and local medics, in one of the deadliest days since fighting resumed despite a ceasefire that has largely failed to halt hostilities.
Medical officials said the strike on the cafe killed numerous civilians and wounded many others. The venue, located near Gaza City's waterfront, was crowded at the time of the attack, they said. Emergency workers continued searching the scene for casualties while hospitals treated the wounded.
The Israeli military did not immediately provide detailed comment on the cafe strike. In previous incidents, it has said it targets militants operating in civilian areas and takes measures intended to reduce harm to civilians, while acknowledging that operations are continuing against what it describes as terrorist threats in Gaza.
Elsewhere in the enclave, Palestinian medical authorities reported additional fatalities from separate Israeli airstrikes, bringing the day's overall death toll into the dozens. Casualty figures released by Gaza's health authorities do not distinguish between civilians and combatants and could not be independently verified.
The latest violence comes despite an October 2025 ceasefire brokered with U.S. backing that significantly reduced large-scale fighting but has repeatedly been punctured by Israeli strikes and other military incidents. Israel says it continues to act against militants who pose security threats, while Hamas accuses Israel of violating the truce. Indirect negotiations on implementing later phases of the ceasefire have remained stalled for months.
Palestinian officials say hundreds of people have been killed since the ceasefire took effect. Israeli authorities say four Israeli soldiers have also been killed during the same period. The broader war began after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Gaza health authorities say the subsequent Israeli military campaign has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, though their figures do not differentiate between fighters and civilians.
International mediators have continued efforts to preserve the ceasefire and revive negotiations over hostage releases, Israeli troop deployments and longer-term security arrangements, but no breakthrough had been announced as of Wednesday.
