By Elham Asaad Buaras
LONDON, (The Muslim News): Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians, including a child, and wounded more than 12 others in a drone strike on a crowded café in Gaza City on Tuesday, as violence continued across the occupied West Bank and wider regional tensions escalated.
The Gaza strike targeted a café in the port area of Gaza City, according to medical sources and eyewitnesses. Witnesses said at least two missiles were fired in the attack. The dead and seriously wounded were taken to nearby hospitals.
The Israeli army said the strike targeted Hamas commanders operating in the Al-Shati area west of Gaza City, alleging that they were planning attacks against Israeli forces. Israeli Army Radio, citing an unnamed security source, reported that four Hamas commanders had gathered at the café, including a Hamas “company commander” and three “faction commanders”.
Hamas had not issued a response to the Israeli claims at the time of publication.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement that took effect last October have killed 1,266 Palestinians and wounded 4,200 others. Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, more than 73,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed and more than 174,000 wounded.
In the occupied West Bank, eight Palestinians, including a child, were wounded in separate incidents involving Israeli forces and occupiers on Tuesday.
Six Palestinians were injured after being beaten in Beit Imrin, near Nablus, by Israeli settlers accompanied by Israeli soldiers, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The injured men, aged between 24 and 65, had been detained by Israeli forces two days earlier and were taken to a local hospital after their release.
Witnesses said Israeli forces detained 11 Palestinians following clashes between local residents and Jewish settlers before handing the detainees, who were handcuffed, to the occupiers. The witnesses said the detainees were repeatedly beaten and that soldiers warned residents not to confront the occupiers.
The Israeli army had not responded to the allegations at the time of publication.
Separately, two Palestinians, including a child, were wounded during an Israeli military raid on the Al-Amari refugee camp south of Ramallah.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said one Palestinian suffered a critical gunshot wound to the abdomen and was taken to Palestine Medical Complex for surgery.
The Red Crescent said a child was shot in the foot with live ammunition and taken to hospital.
Palestine TV reported that Israeli forces entered the camp and opened fire, while footage circulated online showed soldiers deploying from military vehicles into its narrow streets.
The incidents occurred amid continuing Israeli military operations and attacks by occupiers across the West Bank, alongside the expansion of illegal settlement outposts, settler-road construction and restrictions on Palestinian movement.
The UN warned earlier this month that violence by occupiers had reached unprecedented levels, recording more than 1,430 attacks against Palestinians and their property since the beginning of 2026.
Cargo ship struck off Yemen’s coast
Elsewhere in the region, a cargo ship was struck by multiple unidentified projectiles off Yemen’s western coast, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
UKMTO said it received a report of the incident about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometres) southeast of Mokha. The vessel was unmanned when it was struck and sustained damage resulting in a “complete constructive loss”. Authorities were investigating, while UKMTO advised vessels operating in the area to exercise caution and report suspicious activity.
Missiles target UAE
In the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates said its air-defence systems detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran. The UAE Defence Ministry said the missiles were targeting maritime navigation before falling into the sea.
Iran denied launching missiles at the UAE. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei rejected the Emirati claim and said the allegations were contrary to the principle of good neighbourly relations, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.
The UAE subsequently suspended all trade exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, according to state-run WAM, citing the Foreign Ministry’s strategic communications director. No further details were immediately provided.
Iraqi groups hand over weapons to state
In Iraq, meanwhile, several factions operating under the officially recognised Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) have begun handing over their weapons under a government plan to place all arms under state control.
Lieutenant-General Saad Maan, head of the Iraqi Security Media Cell, said several factions had already begun the process, while others were moving towards compliance. He said the measures formed part of legal and institutional arrangements to regulate armed formations and their members within the state military structure.
The policy applies to weapons held outside official state institutions, including tribal weapons and arms not covered by existing laws, Maan said.
He added that the PMF would protect the rights of fighters and their families in accordance with Iraqi law.
The PMF was established in 2014 following a religious ruling by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani calling for volunteers to fight Daesh. It was formally incorporated into Iraq’s armed forces in 2016.
Maan rejected suggestions that the government was preparing for a confrontation with armed factions, describing the move as a constitutional and legal measure aimed at strengthening state authority and security.
In June, Iraqi military spokesman Sabah al-Numan announced the formation of a committee to oversee efforts to bring unregulated weapons under state control.
The developments come as Israeli military operations continue in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, while separate security incidents involving Yemen, Iran and the UAE add to tensions across the region.
[Photo: People attend a funeral ceremony at Farouk Mosque for 30-year-old Subhi Sami Shehtut, who was killed in an Israeli strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Nuseirat, Gaza, Palestine on August 19, 2026. Photojournalist: Hassan Jedi/AA]
