Israeli strikes kill 146 Palestinians in Gaza in 24 hours, local health authorities say
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The Gaza health authorities said 459 people were also injured in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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JERUSALEM – Israel’s air force killed at least 146 Palestinians in new attacks on Gaza over the past 24 hours and injured many more, the local health authorities said on May 17, as the country appeared set to press ahead with a new ground offensive.
Israeli strikes since May 15 have seen one of the deadliest phases of bombardment since a truce collapsed in March.
The latest strikes came after US President Donald Trump ended his Middle East tour
“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 the director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, Dr Marwan Al-Sultan.
The local health authorities said 459 people had been injured in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours.
Israel’s military said on May 16 it is conducting extensive strikes and mobilising troops as part of preparations to expand operations in the Gaza Strip and achieve “operational control” in areas of the Palestinian enclave.
The Gaza health system is barely operational with hospitals hit repeatedly by the Israeli military during the 19-month war and medical supplies drying up as Israel tightened its blockade since March.
The escalation, which includes the build-up of armoured forces along the border, is part of the initial stages of “Operation Gideon’s Wagons”, which Israel says is aimed at defeating Hamas and getting its hostages back.
An Israeli defence official said earlier in May that the operation would not be launched before Mr Trump concluded his visit to the Middle East.
“We are gradually increasing forces; Hamas remains defiant,” the military said on May 17.
United Nations experts warn that famine looms in Gaza after Israel blocked aid deliveries to the strip
Mr Trump on May 16 acknowledged Gaza's growing hunger crisis
A US-backed foundation aims to start distributing aid to Gazans by the end of May, using private US security and logistics companies, but the UN has said it will not work with the foundation because it is not impartial, neutral or independent.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 5 that Israel was planning an expanded, intensive offensive against Hamas
On May 16, Israel’s military ordered Gazans to move south after heavy strikes in the northern town of Beit Lahiya and the Jabalia refugee camp. Residents, however, said tanks were advancing towards the southern city of Khan Younis.
Israel’s declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on Oct 7, 2023
Its military campaign has devastated the tiny and crowded enclave, pushing nearly all inhabitants from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people, according to the Gaza health authorities.
NBC News reported on May 16, citing five people with knowledge of the matter, that the Trump administration is working on a plan to permanently relocate as many as one million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya.
Palestinians, including Hamas, and the rival authority of President Mahmoud Abbas reject any displacement of people outside their land. REUTERS
