{"id":37020,"date":"2025-07-04T03:27:32","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T03:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/37020\/"},"modified":"2025-07-04T03:27:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T03:27:32","slug":"what-really-happened-at-gazas-al-baqa-cafe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/37020\/","title":{"rendered":"What Really Happened at Gaza\u2019s Al-Baqa Cafe?"},"content":{"rendered":"

On June 30, the IDF carried out a targeted strike in Gaza City.<\/p>\n

As is now routine, Palestinians on the ground quickly supplied a detailed death toll \u2014 more than 30 killed and dozens more injured, along with other vivid embellishments. Media outlets around the world eagerly picked up the story. Once again, tales of an alleged Israeli assault on innocent civilians made headlines before a single detail could be verified.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a sample of how the media reported the incident:<\/p>\n

The New York Times cited<\/a> Al-Shifa Hospital director Mohammad Abu Salmiya, reporting that \u201cmore than 30 people had been killed\u201d at the seaside cafe. The article later quoted a Hamas statement claiming Israel had \u201ctargeted innocent civilians gathered at a rest stop on the Gaza City beach.\u201d No scrutiny of either source was offered.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Guardian went a step further, suggesting the strike may have been a war crime. It cited unnamed \u201cexperts\u201d who claimed the IDF used a 500lb bomb, supposedly based on \u201cfragments\u201d found at the scene.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

ABC News\u2019 (Australia) framing<\/a> implied journalists were the intended targets, describing the cafe as a spot \u201cfrequented by journalists, media workers, activists and students.\u201d The reported death toll, again, came from Gaza\u2019s \u201ccivil defense agency,\u201d i.e. Hamas.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

NPR blurred the lines between separate incidents, running the headline<\/a>: \u201c74 killed in Gaza as Israeli forces strike a cafe and fire on people seeking food.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

CNN quoted<\/a> \u201chospital officials\u201d who claimed \u201cdozens\u201d were killed, while also noting that the cafe was popular with journalists and \u201cremote workers\u201d in Gaza.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not going to dissect every example of hearsay, exaggeration, or recycled talking points in these articles. What matters is that they were all based on sources under Hamas control, and they all omitted critical details.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s try and piece this puzzle together.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n