Cork's Izz Cafe to close due to family concerns as war rages in Middle East
Chef Izzeddeen Allcarajeh of Izz Cafe. Picture: Chani Anderson
Izz Cafe, a popular Palestinian restaurant in Cork City, has decided to temporarily stop operating as concerns grow for their families based in the Middle-East as the war between Israel and Palestine rages on.
In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, the restaurant said its staff are "exhausted mentally given the current situation".
"Our staff many of whom are Palestinian and Gazan cannot operate when so worried about the status of our families and friends," the cafe said.
The business said it will re-evaluate the decision to temporarily close in a few days.
Earlier this week, Izz Cafe announced it will close the in-house service for diners for around two weeks as it completes a renovation project.
Izzeddeen and Eman Akarajeh, farmer’s market traders, opened the business pre-covid in 2019.
The conflict began after Israelis woke last Saturday to the wail of sirens as Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired thousands of rockets from Gaza and armed militants broke down the hi-tech barriers surrounding the strip to enter Israel, shooting and taking hostages. Militants in boats also tried to enter Israel by sea.
It was a staggering and unprecedented offensive by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared that Israel was at war and that Palestinians would pay a heavy price.
Militants infiltrated Jewish communities near the border with Gaza, killing and seizing civilians and soldiers.
On Friday, Israel’s military directed the evacuation of northern Gaza, a region that is home to 1.1 million people, within 24 hours, a UN spokesman said.
The order, delivered to the UN, comes as Israel presses an offensive against Hamas militants.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric called the order “impossible” without “devastating humanitarian consequences”.
This could signal an impending ground offensive, though the Israeli military has not yet confirmed such an appeal.
Hamas’ assault on Saturday and smaller attacks since havekilled more than 1,300 people in Israel, including 247 soldiers — a toll unseen in Israel for decades — and the ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed more than 1,530 people in Gaza, according to authorities on both sides.
Israel says roughly 1,500 Hamas militants were killed inside Israel, and that hundreds of the dead in Gaza are Hamas members. Thousands have been wounded on both sides.
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