▲ Residents look over the site of a cafe destroyed by Israeli military strikes near the beach at Gaza Port in Gaza City on the 18th (local time).
Health authorities in the Gaza Strip announced that an Israeli military airstrike on the port of Gaza City on the 18th (local time) killed six people and injured more than 10 others.
The Israeli military claimed that the strike was a precision strike targeting Hamas commanders who were plotting attacks against Israel.
According to AFP, Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defense, stated, "An Israeli airstrike targeting a tent camp for displaced people at the Gaza City port killed at least six people, including children, and injured numerous others."
Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported that it received five bodies and 13 injured people, adding that one of the injured patients ultimately died that evening.
Mohamed Al-Ghoul, an eyewitness at the scene, told AFP, "Israeli warplanes fired two missiles toward the 'Sweet and Bitter' cafe at the western port of Gaza City."
The Israeli military claimed, "We conducted a precise aerial strike targeting several Hamas commanders who were planning terrorist attacks against Israeli troops operating in the Gaza Strip," adding, "We took measures to reduce civilian casualties."
In a separate statement, the Israeli military added that the strike hit a gathering place for commanders of Hamas's Nukhba naval special forces, noting that the group included individuals who participated in the October 7, 2023, surprise attack that triggered the Gaza war.
The Israeli military asserts that due to recent U.S. pressure, it has scaled down its military operations in the Gaza Strip, conducting only limited airstrikes aimed at eliminating imminent threats to its forces or killing participants from the October 7, 2023, attack.
However, Hamas has rebutted that Israel is blatantly ignoring U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan and the ceasefire demands of mediators.
The airstrike came a day after White House Special Envoy Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, who had rejected President Trump's Gaza peace plan, reiterated his hardline stance during the meeting the previous day, stating that Israeli forces will only withdraw after Hamas is completely disarmed.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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