Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 51 people, including 24 at a seafront rest area, as fresh calls grow for a ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian territory, AFP reports.

Gaza’s civil defence agency said 51 people had been killed by Israeli forces on Monday, including 24 in a strike on a rest area on Gaza City’s seafront.

“I saw body parts flying everywhere, and bodies cut and burned… It was a scene that made your skin crawl,” 26-year-old eyewitness Ahmed Al-Nayrab told AFP, recalling a “huge explosion that shook the area”.

“The place is always crowded with people because the rest area offers drinks, family seating and internet access.”

Another eyewitness, 35-year-old Bilal Awkal, said “blood covered the ground and screams filled the air”.

“Women and children were everywhere, like a scene from a movie about the end of the world.”

Approached for comment by AFP, the Israeli army said it was “looking into” the reports.