Israeli forces kill 48 in Gaza as ceasefire calls intensify
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 48 people on Monday, including 21 at a seafront rest area, as fresh calls grew for a ceasefire in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
The swift resolution of Israel's 12-day war with Iran has revived hopes for a halt to the fighting in Gaza, where more than 20 months of combat have created dire humanitarian conditions for the population of more than two million.
US President Donald Trump has recently urged Israel to "make the deal in Gaza", while key mediator Qatar said Monday that "momentum" had been created by the truce with Iran last week.
But on the ground, Israel has continued to press its offensive across the Palestinian territory in a bid to destroy the militant group Hamas.
Gaza's civil defence agency said 48 people had been killed by Israeli forces on Monday, including 21 in a strike on a seafront rest area near Gaza City.
"The place is always crowded with people because the rest area offers drinks, family seating and internet access," eyewitness Ahmed Al-Nayrab, 26, told AFP, recalling a "huge explosion that shook the area".
"I saw body parts flying everywhere, and bodies cut and burned... It was a scene that made your skin crawl."
Another eyewitness, Bilal Awkal, 35, said "blood covered the ground and screams filled the air".
"Women and children were everywhere, like a scene from a movie about the end of the world."
Approached for comment by AFP, the Israeli army said it was "looking into" the reports.
The Hamas government media office reported that photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab was among those killed in the strike.
Israeli restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and authorities in the territory.
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