At least 20 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike that hit a popular seafront cafe frequently used by activists, journalists, and local residents in western Gaza on Monday, according to medics and eyewitnesses, BBC reported.

Rescue teams evacuated 20 bodies and dozens wounded from Al-Baqa Cafeteria, an outdoor venue which consisted of tents along the beach, a spokesperson for Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence told the BBC.

He added that emergency crews were still searching through a deep crater left by the explosion.

"I was on my way to the café to use the internet just a few meters away when a massive explosion hit," said Aziz Al-Afifi, a cameraman with a local production company, told the BBC.