An Israeli airstrike on an internet café in the northern Gaza Strip has drawn international criticism after Palestinian reports claimed 24 people were killed. It has now emerged that senior Hamas operatives, including the commander of the group’s naval wing, were among the dead.
According to an investigation by The Guardian, the IDF used a 500-lb MK-82 bomb—a powerful munition with a broad fragmentation radius—when it struck the café in Gaza City. The report relied in part on weapons experts who analyzed shrapnel found at the scene. Legal scholars suggested the use of such a bomb, despite clear Hamas presence, may constitute a violation of international law—possibly even a war crime.
IDF confirmed the strike killed Ramzi Ramadan Abd Ali Saleh, Hamas’ naval force commander, calling him “a significant source of knowledge” within the organization. In recent weeks, he had allegedly been planning maritime terror attacks against IDF troops operating in Gaza. “ The terrorist was eliminated in Gaza City while he was operating in a structure with additional terrorists,” the IDF said in a statement. The strike targeted a covert meeting at the café.
Also killed were Hisham Ayman Atiya Mansour, deputy head of a Hamas mortar unit, and Nassim Muhammad Suleiman Abu Sabha, another operative in the same division. In response to the global backlash, the IDF said that it took steps to minimize civilian casualties prior to the strike, including use of precision-guided munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence.
The café, known locally as Internet Café, was a popular spot for families and young people, offering internet access, soft drinks and a view of the sea. Witnesses said the place was crowded at the time. “It was a massacre,” Ahmed al-Nayrab told AFP. “Body parts flew everywhere—mangled and burned. It was a chilling scene.”
The Guardian noted that the large crater, combined with identification of a JDAM guidance system and a thermal battery, reinforced the assessment that an MK-82 or MPR500 bomb was used. Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosives technician, said, “Using this kind of munition in such a densely populated area inevitably leads to heavy civilian casualties.”
Gerry Simpson of Human Rights Watch said, “If IDF knew civilians were present—and the aerial surveillance suggests they did—dropping a bomb of this scale is unlawful and indiscriminate. It must be investigated as a potential war crime.” Dr. Andrew Ford of Dublin University added, “Even with precise targeting, deploying such a heavy weapon in a civilian area yields an inherently illegal result. This violates the Geneva Conventions.”
Marc Schack, an international law expert at the University of Copenhagen, told The Guardian that use of such a bomb is hard to justify unless the target is of the highest strategic value. “Even in U.S.-led campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, the maximum number of civilian deaths deemed ‘acceptable’ for a top-tier target was below 30—and even that, only in exceptional cases,” he said.
IDF possesses a wide range of weaponry and has often used lighter, more precise munitions for targeted strikes in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. In a statement issued earlier this year, the military said, “Munition selection is a professional decision based on the nature of the target.” It added, “Despite efforts to minimize harm to civilians, no method is foolproof.” IDF has reiterated that Hamas uses civilians in Gaza as human shields.
