Dr Mohammad Abu Silmiya, the director of Al-Shifa hospital, said in an update on Monday afternoon (early Tuesday AEST) that at least 31 people had been killed and 70 injured in the strike.

Videos geolocated by CNN show thick smoke rising from the scene as well as widespread damage to the cafe and the surrounding area. They also showed bodies being removed on stretchers.

The Israel Defence Forces told CNN it was looking into the circumstances around the strike.

The Al-Baqa cafe was a well-known spot for students, journalists and remote workers, as it offered internet and a place to work by the Mediterranean coast.

Silmiya told CNN that “most of the casualties are women and children”, including many students who were at the cafe for internet access.

He also said the hospital was short of ICU beds and anaesthetics to treat the casualties.

“We are treating the injured on the hospital floor as no rooms and hospital beds are available”, the hospital director added.

Among those killed was a freelance journalist, Ismail Abu Hatab, according to other journalists at the scene.

The Hamas-controlled Government Media Office said his death brought to 228 the number of journalists killed by Israeli military action in Gaza since October 2023.