Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed more than 250 people since Thursday morning, local health officials said yesterday, marking one of the deadliest phases of the bombing since a ceasefire collapsed in March. A new ground offensive is expected soon.
US President Donald Trump, who yesterday ended a tour of the Middle East without visible progress towards a new ceasefire as Israel intensifies its military campaign, acknowledged that the hunger crisis in Gaza is worsening and that humanitarian aid delivery is necessary.
"We have to help the Palestinians too. You know, a lot of people are starving in Gaza, so we have to look at both sides," he said. Asked if he supported Israel's war plans, Trump said he expected "good things" over the next month, Reuters reported.
Yesterday's air and artillery strikes were focused on the northern part of the small, crowded strip, where dozens of people, including women and children, were killed overnight, said Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Khalil al-Dekran.
Israel has stepped up bombing and deployed armored forces along the border, despite growing international pressure to resume ceasefire talks and end the blockade of Gaza, where warnings of famine are becoming more frequent.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 5 that Israel was planning an expanded, intense offensive against Hamas, after his security cabinet approved plans that could include seizing the entire Gaza Strip and controlling aid deliveries.
An Israeli military official said at the time that the offensive would not be launched before Trump completed his visit to the Middle East, which was due to end yesterday.
Israel cites as its declared goal in Gaza the elimination of Hamas, which on October 7, 2023, carried out an attack on Israeli communities, killing about 1.200 people and taking about 250 hostages.
The military campaign has devastated Gaza, forced almost all residents to flee and killed more than 53.000 people, according to Gaza health authorities, while aid groups warn that the Israeli blockade has caused a humanitarian catastrophe.
The northern city of Beit Lahia and the Jabalia refugee camp were under heavy attack yesterday, where, according to Palestinian emergency services, many bodies are still buried under rubble.
Israel dropped leaflets on Beit Lahi ordering all residents to evacuate, regardless of whether they were living in tents, shelters or buildings. “Move south immediately,” the leaflets read.
Residents reported that Israeli tanks were advancing towards the southern city of Khan Yunis.
The Israeli military said its air force had hit more than 150 military targets across Gaza.
In Jabaliya, Reuters reported, men searched through a sea of rubble after overnight attacks, pulling out metal plates as young children scrambled through the debris.
About ten bodies, wrapped in white sheets, were lined up on the ground, ready to be transported to the hospital. The women were crying, and one lifted the sheet to look at the dead person's face.
"Where should I go today? To the west of Gaza? That's where they're bombing. To the south? That's where they're killing people in Khan Yunis. To Deir al-Balah? That's where they're bombing. Me, my children and my family - where should we go?" said Fadi Tambura, crying next to the crater left by the nighttime attack.
Ismail, a man from Gaza City who gave only his first name, described a night of terror. "The constant explosions from airstrikes and tank fire reminded us of the first days of the war. The ground was constantly shaking under our feet," Ismail told Reuters via a messaging app.
"We thought Trump had come to save us, but it seems Netanyahu doesn't care, and neither does Trump."
We have to help the Palestinians too. You know, a lot of people are starving in Gaza, so we have to look at both sides, Trump said. Asked if he supported Israel's war plans, he said he expected "good things" over the next month.
Israel is facing increasing international isolation over its Gaza campaign, with even the United States, its staunchest ally, expressing concern over the scale of the destruction and the dire situation caused by the blockade on food and other essential aid.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that Washington was "concerned" about the humanitarian situation.
Netanyahu sent a team to Doha to participate in ceasefire talks with Qatari mediators, but rejected any concessions, stating that Israel remains committed to defeating Hamas.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families and supporters of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza, warned that Israel risks missing a “historic opportunity” to bring them home as Trump wraps up a visit to the Middle East.
"We are in dramatic moments that will decide the fate of our loved ones, the future of Israeli society, and the future of the Middle East," the Forum said in a statement.
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