The Israeli offensive in Gaza continued despite U.S. President Donald Trump's call for Israel to halt attacks in the Palestinian enclave, with a fresh air strike in western Gaza City killing at least six people, including a child, according to Al Jazeera.
The strike targeted a cafe in the port area west of Gaza City, in the Shati area, Al Jazeera reported. Gaza health officials said several people were also wounded, with some of the injured reported to be in critical condition.
According to Al Jazeera Arabic, the intensity of the strike pushed some of the dead and wounded into the sea, with recovery efforts under way. Most of the injured were taken to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
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The casualty toll initially reported by Al Jazeera was five, including a child. Sources at al-Shifa Hospital later said six people, including a child, were killed in the attack.
The Israeli military said it had carried out an air strike in the Shati area targeting what it described as “several Hamas commanders.”
In a post on Telegram, the Israeli army said the group was “attacked from the air to remove the threat to the forces”.
The military alleged that the targeted group was planning an attack against Israeli forces operating in Gaza. The latest strike comes a day after The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had called on Israel to stop striking targets in Gaza.
According to the WSJ, Trump's remarks came as his envoy Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in an effort to revive the U.S. president's plan to disarm Hamas and bring the war in Gaza to an end.
The development marked a rare public difference between the two close allies. Netanyahu had rejected Trump's proposed phased disarmament plan for Hamas last week, according to the WSJ.
Following a brief pause, Israel resumed near-daily strikes against Palestinian militants. Israel has said some of the targets were militants involved in the October 7, 2023, attack and hostage-taking.
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