Israel has launched a major new offensive in Gaza, killing over 100 people in the latest spate of overnight attacks, as one of the deadliest phases of bombardment of the enclave continues for the third consecutive day.
At least 300 people have been killed in Gaza since Thursday morning, as the raids and bombardments have escalated violence following the collapse of a fragile ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas in March.
The Israel Defence Forces said in a statement late on Friday that they have “launched extensive attacks and mobilised forces to seize strategic areas in the Gaza Strip, as part of the opening moves of Operation Gideon’s Chariots and the expansion of the campaign in Gaza, to achieve all the goals of the war in Gaza”.
The announcement came shortly after US president Donald Trump left the region, following a tour with stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Friday, with no apparent progress toward a new ceasefire.
But Mr Trump acknowledged Gaza’s growing hunger crisis and the need for aid deliveries, without referring to Israel’s blockade on food and supplies entering the territory.
“We have to help also out the Palestinians. You know, a lot of people are starving in Gaza, so we have to look at both sides,” he said. When asked if he backed Israel’s war plans, Mr Trump said he expected “good things” over the next month.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s civil defence agency said strikes on Friday killed 108 people — mostly women and children.
The raids and bombardments over the past 72 hours have already killed more than 200 people in Gaza, some officials in the Palestinian territory reportedly said, according to The Guardian.
No food has entered Gaza for 75 days, as Israel has blocked international aid, including food, water and supplies, from reaching hundreds of people who have been reliant on aid after most community kitchens were shut down.
“This is the deadliest and most destructive phase of Israel’s war on Gaza, yet the world has turned away,” said Bushra Khalidi, policy lead for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory at the humanitarian nonprofit Oxfam.
“After 19 months of horror, Gaza has become a place where international law is suspended, and humanity is abandoned.”
Friday’s air and artillery strikes were focused on the northern section of the tiny, crowded enclave, where dozens of people, including women and children, were killed overnight, said Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Khalil al-Deqran.
The strikes are often carried out at night, when people are sleeping in their tents.
The European Hospital, the only remaining facility providing cancer treatments in Gaza, was put out of service.
