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Port strike kills civilians
An Israeli airstrike hit a small cafe inside the fishing harbor in western Gaza City on Tuesday, killing at least six Palestinians and wounding 14 others, according to health officials and Palestinian reports.
“fired two missiles at a small cafe inside the fishing harbor in western Gaza City”
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said the attack took place as many people in the seaport came out of their tents to escape the extreme heat, and he reported: “You could be walking in the street; you could be sitting in a cafe when such attacks happen because there are no prior warnings.”
The Israeli military said the strike targeted a gathering of several Hamas commanders planning attacks, while Hamas denounced the attack as a “blatant disregard for all calls for a ceasefire issued by mediators and guarantor states”.
In the same reporting, Palestinian Ministry of Health said 6 Palestinians were martyred and 14 others were injured in the strike on the port area on the western outskirts of Gaza City, and a widely circulated image showed an elderly woman sitting with blood covering her face after the bombardment.
Kushner talks, stalled roadmap
The strike came a day after US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner concluded an unsuccessful visit aimed at advancing Washington’s 15-point peace plan, with both Hamas and Netanyahu refusing to budge on their demands.
Al Jazeera reported that Netanyahu continues to reject the United States-backed plan to end hostilities, insisting the Israeli military will not withdraw from Gaza unless Hamas agrees to disarm first, while Hamas says it will only give up its weapons once Israel withdraws its soldiers.
In a separate account, Al Arabiya said an official from Trump’s so-called Board of Peace told reporters that Israel retained its “full right of self defense” and that there would be no “redeployment” by the Israeli military until Hamas was disarmed.
Al Arabiya also quoted Kushner telling Fox News that “If they (Hamas) don’t follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they’re not genuine about peace,” adding that Israel would then have more support from the US and others to “finish the job in the appropriate way.”
Disarmament dispute and access
The dispute over sequencing and disarmament remained central to the stalled talks, with Al Jazeera saying Netanyahu continued to insist on disarmament before withdrawal and Hamas insisting on withdrawal before weapons handover.
“just three percent of the cropland in Gaza remains accessible and undamaged”
Al Arabiya reported that Netanyahu rejected the roadmap’s phased approach, insisting the military would only withdraw once Hamas is completely disarmed, while Hamas demanded Israel adhere to the ceasefire and withdraw its forces from Gaza.
Separately, Al Arabiya said the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization warned that just three percent of the cropland in Gaza remains accessible and undamaged, with accessible and undamaged cropland falling to 448 hectares from 601 hectares and a further 3,643 hectares accessible but too damaged to be farmed without rehabilitation.
Al Jazeera’s Gaza reporting also framed the port strike through the lens of shrinking safety spaces, quoting Palestinian writer Wassem Afeifa: “Even the sea is no longer a safe refuge; killings follow the Palestinians everywhere.”
