Israeli Strikes on Gaza Restaurant and Market Kill 33, Trigger Global Outcry

At least 33 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded on Wednesday after Israeli airstrikes hit a restaurant and a nearby market in Gaza City, according to medics and the Hamas-run health ministry. The strikes targeted al-Wahda Street in the Rimal neighborhood, one of Gaza’s busiest commercial zones.

The Thailandy restaurant, which had recently reopened as a community kitchen and food relief center, was struck during lunchtime. Graphic videos showed people slumped over dining tables, and eyewitnesses described pools of blood across the restaurant floor. A woman holding her baby cried out, “Everyone died… the blood was like a lake.”

Only 100 meters away, the second strike hit a crowded market, killing civilians including children. A video from the scene showed the lifeless body of a child wearing a backpack. One of the victims was Palestinian journalist Yahya Sobeih, killed just hours after his wife gave birth to their first child.

Local vendors and eyewitnesses claimed there were no fighters in the area. Abu Saleh Abdu, owner of the nearby Palmyra restaurant, told reporters: “You haven’t bombed any fighters or weapons. You’ve only hit civilians.”

The Israeli military said it was reviewing the reports. The Thailandy restaurant had previously been destroyed during an Israeli ground operation near al-Shifa hospital but had resumed service in makeshift structures, cooking hundreds of meals daily for displaced residents.

The strikes follow Israel’s intensified campaign against Hamas, now in its 19th month. On Tuesday, Israeli attacks on UN-run schools sheltering displaced families reportedly killed 59 people. Gaza’s Civil Defence agency accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilian shelters. One school, Abu Humeisa in Bureij refugee camp, was hit twice, killing 33 including women and children.

The Israeli military confirmed it struck a Hamas command center inside one school but did not comment on a separate strike that reportedly killed 15 at another school in Gaza City.

Israel’s campaign has escalated in recent weeks following the breakdown of a ceasefire and efforts to pressure Hamas into releasing remaining hostages. Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated that Gaza’s 2.1 million residents will be moved to “protect them” as Israeli forces expand their ground operations.

The United Nations and international aid agencies have condemned the situation, warning of mass starvation and demanding the reopening of humanitarian corridors. An estimated 423,000 people have been newly displaced, with 70% of Gaza now under evacuation orders or within designated “no-go” zones.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa called the situation a “real catastrophe,” urging world leaders to act. “People are dying every day in Gaza. This cannot continue,” he said.