Overnight airstrikes by the Israeli Air Force claimed the lives of at least 58 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health officials on Saturday.
The renewed bombardment signals what many believe to be the lead-up to a wider ground assault, as tensions in the region continue to escalate.
Since Thursday alone, more than 300 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Israeli airstrikes, marking one of the most lethal waves of attacks since the most recent ceasefire collapsed in March.
The sharp increase in casualties coincides with the conclusion of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East on Friday, which ended without securing any breakthrough towards a new truce.
Marwan Al-Sultan, the director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, described the dire situation on the ground. Since midnight, we have received 58 martyrs, while a large number of victims remain under the rubble.
The situation inside the hospital is catastrophic,” he said, painting a grim picture of the overwhelmed healthcare system.
In a statement on Saturday, the Israeli military confirmed it had intensified air operations and was mobilizing additional ground forces in preparation for a broader campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The goal, it said, was to establish “operational control” in key parts of the Palestinian enclave.
These moves are part of a larger strategy dubbed Operation Gideon’s Wagons, which Israel says is focused on dismantling Hamas’ infrastructure and recovering hostages taken during the group’s attack on Israel last October.
An Israeli defense official previously indicated that the launch of this new phase would be delayed until after President Trump’s Middle East tour.
As military operations ramp up, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens. United Nations officials are warning that famine is imminent, with aid deliveries having been blocked for more than 10 weeks. UN humanitarian chief Tom
Fletcher addressed the Security Council earlier this week, raising alarm over the situation and questioning whether the global body would act to “prevent genocide.”
On Friday, President Trump acknowledged the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza and emphasized the urgent need to restore humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile, international pressure on Israel is mounting to return to ceasefire negotiations and ease its blockade of the territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking earlier this month, confirmed plans for an intensified military campaign.
On May 5, his security cabinet approved a set of measures that could involve the full occupation of Gaza and direct control over humanitarian assistance entering the region.
Israel has maintained that its primary objective in Gaza is the complete dismantling of Hamas’ military and administrative capabilities.
The operation is a direct response to the group’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israeli communities, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage.
Since the onset of Israel’s military offensive, the destruction in Gaza has been immense. Local health authorities report that over 53,000 Palestinians have been killed, and the majority of the population has been displaced, forced to flee their homes amid ongoing airstrikes and military incursions.
As the international community watches with increasing concern, the unfolding situation in Gaza remains volatile, with the specter of a full-scale ground invasion now more likely than ever.
