Israeli air force strikes killed at least 58 Palestinians in Gaza overnight, local health authorities reported, as Israel prepares to launch a new ground offensive.
Since Thursday, more than 300 Gazans have perished, marking one of the deadliest spurts of bombardment since a truce collapsed in March. U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent Middle East tour ended without a ceasefire breakthrough.
“Since midnight, we have received 58 martyrs, while a large number of victims remain under the rubble. The situation inside the hospital is catastrophic,” said Marwan Al-Sultan, director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza.
Israel’s military said it is conducting extensive air raids and mobilizing troops to expand operations in the Gaza Strip and seize “operational control” of key areas.
The buildup along the border is part of the early stages of “Operation Gideon’s Wagons,” designed to defeat Hamas and recover hostages seized on October 7.
United Nations experts warn famine looms after Israel’s blockade stopped aid deliveries 76 days ago. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher urged the Security Council this week to act to “prevent genocide.”
President Trump acknowledged Gaza’s growing hunger crisis and called for resumed aid, as international pressure mounts for new ceasefire talks and an end to the blockade.
On May 5, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet approved plans for an intensified offensive that could seize the entire Gaza Strip and control aid flows.
Israel says its goal is to eliminate Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities after the group’s October 7 attack killed around 1,200 people and took roughly 250 hostages.
The military campaign has devastated the crowded enclave, forcing mass displacement and killing over 53,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
