Jerusalem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Local health authorities reported on Saturday that Israel’s air force has killed at least 146 Palestinians in fresh attacks on Gaza in the last 24 hours, injuring many others, as the country seems poised to continue its new ground offensive, according to Reuters.
On May 5, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel was preparing a broader, intensified military campaign against Hamas. His security cabinet has approved plans that may include taking full control of the Gaza Strip and managing aid distribution.
What does Israel’s expanded campaign in Gaza involve?
Since Thursday, Israeli strikes have marked one of the deadliest bombardment periods following the truce’s collapse in March. These latest strikes occurred as U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his Middle East tour on Friday, with no visible advancement toward a new ceasefire.
“Since midnight, we have received 58 martyrs, while a large number of victims remain under the rubble. The situation inside the hospital is catastrophic,” stated the director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, Marwan Al-Sultan. Local health officials reported that 459 individuals were injured due to Israeli strikes over the last 24 hours.
How is Gaza’s health system near total collapse?
The Gaza health system is struggling to function, as hospitals have been repeatedly struck by the Israeli military throughout the 19-month conflict, and medical supplies are dwindling due to Israel’s tightened blockade since March.
What is Operation Gideon’s Wagons aiming to achieve?
The troop mobilization, featuring an increase of armored units along the border, is among the early phases of ‘Operation Gideon’s Wagons’, an initiative that Israel claims seeks to overcome Hamas and retrieve its hostages.
On Saturday, Israel’s military announced that it was carrying out extensive strikes and mobilizing troops as part of preparations to broaden operations in the Gaza Strip and establish “operational control” in certain regions of the Palestinian enclave. “We are gradually increasing forces; Hamas remains defiant,” the military said on Saturday.
How has Trump responded to the Gaza crisis?
On Friday, Trump recognized the escalating hunger crisis in Gaza and the necessity for aid deliveries, as global pressure mounts on Israel to restart ceasefire discussions and lift its blockade of Gaza.
A foundation supported by the U.S. plans to begin distributing aid to Gazans by the end of May, utilizing private U.S. security and logistics companies. However, the U.N. has stated it will not collaborate with the foundation, citing a lack of impartiality, neutrality, and independence.
