Gaza: Over 50 Deaths Reported Despite Calls for Ceasefire

Above haunting image captures a Palestinian woman walking alone through the wreckage of the Al-Baqa café, a once lively place now reduced to rubble by an Israeli strike along Gaza City’s seafront. Her footsteps echo the pain and loss that crush the soul of a community shattered by the relentless violence. On June 30, 2025, The Gaza Civil Defense reported that Israeli forces killed at least 48 people that day, including 21 at a seaside rest area.

Despite increasing calls for a ceasefire, local rescue teams announced on 30th June, that the death toll has risen to 51, with 24 victims killed in an internet café during multiple Israeli military operations across the war-torn territory.

According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, an Israeli airstrike alone caused 24 deaths and injured dozens at the Al-Baqa café, a seaside spot in Gaza City that offers drinks, family areas, and internet access.

Witness Ahmed Al-Nayrab, 26, said he was nearby with friends when he heard a massive explosion.

“It was a massacre,” he said. “I saw body parts flying everywhere, torn and burned corpses. It was horrifying. People were crying, wounded were screaming for help, and families were mourning their loved ones.”

The Hamas government’s press office reports that photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab was killed in this attack. Earlier, Gaza’s Civil Defense confirmed 27 deaths from several strikes and clashes involving Israeli forces.

Among these, 11 were killed near aid distribution points in central and southern Gaza, according to spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal. Due to media restrictions and access difficulties on the ground, AFP cannot independently verify these figures or claims. The Israeli military has not responded to AFP inquiries about Bassal’s statements.

Israel Accuses Gaza of Civilian Targeting

Hamas condemned what it called a “major escalation” of Israeli airstrikes, accusing Israel of targeting unprotected civilians.

Calls for a ceasefire continue amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the situation remains dire since the ceasefire on June 24 ended a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran-backed groups.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid stated that Israel has no interest in prolonging the war, arguing that ongoing fighting only causes security, political, and economic damage.

Israel’s Foreign Minister of Qatar, which has been mediating indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, reaffirmed that “conditions are right to resume negotiations.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking at a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and military officials, said Israel is nearing the end of its Gaza campaign, aiming to achieve key objectives such as freeing all hostages and defeating Hamas.

While former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed last Friday that a ceasefire in Gaza was “close,” Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is in Washington this week for discussions with American officials.

Background: The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel sparked the current conflict.

The assault resulted in 1,219 Israeli deaths, mostly civilians, according to official figures compiled by AFP.

Additionally, 49 people taken hostage in Gaza remain in captivity, with 27 declared dead by the Israeli military.

Since then, over 56,531 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s military response in Gaza, based on data from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is considered reliable by the UN.

Source: Defi Media