A deadly Israeli airstrike has wiped out the “Al-Baqa” café on Gaza’s coastline, killing at least 24 civilians, including children, women, and artists, and wounding dozens more. Once a rare refuge from war, the café became the latest scene of horror after being hit by a 230kg U.S.-made MK-82 bomb, an explosive designed for massive destruction. Munitions experts and The Guardian confirmed the weapon’s use, raising urgent questions about the legality and intent behind the strike.

The café, located far from any military activity, was filled with families seeking a moment of calm. Among the victims were a four-year-old child, a well-known film director, and a young boy sharing falafel with his sister. The bombing occurred during peak evening hours, turning one of Gaza’s last symbols of normalcy into a scene of burning bodies and twisted metal.

Legal experts warn that the use of such heavy weaponry in civilian areas violates the Geneva Conventions and may constitute a war crime. Human rights organisations are demanding an immediate international investigation, stressing that targeting a site with no military value reflects a dangerous and deliberate disregard for civilian life.

As Gaza sinks deeper into famine, displacement, and infrastructural collapse, even cafés, parks, and breadlines have become targets. With no safe zones left, the destruction of Al-Baqa is a brutal reminder that in Gaza, the line between life and death has vanished, even during the simplest act of sharing a meal.

This strike is not a tragic error, it is part of a pattern. Without accountability, Gaza’s civilian spaces will remain kill zones, and the world’s inaction will continue to embolden further atrocities.