Daijiworld Media Network - Gaza
Gaza, May 16: Nearly 100 Palestinians, including children, were killed in a large-scale Israeli ground, air, and sea assault on north Gaza early Friday, according to the Hamas-run civil defence and residents.
The civil defence reported that at least nine homes and tents were bombed overnight, and dozens of calls were received from trapped civilians. Witnesses in Beit Lahia described intense artillery shelling, smoke bombs, and tanks encircling residential areas.
Israel’s military stated it was targeting ‘terrorist infrastructure’ and had ‘eliminated several terrorists’ during operations over the past day. This marks the most extensive ground operation in north Gaza since Israel resumed its offensive in March.
Residents fleeing the assault shared harrowing experiences. “It came from all sides – air strikes and warships. My brother’s house collapsed. There were 25 people inside,” said Basheer al-Ghandour, who lost five family members including children. “My brother’s wife is still under the rubble,” he added.
Yousif Salem, another survivor, said an airstrike destroyed his neighbour’s home and that he narrowly escaped with his children amid artillery fire and drone attacks. “We escaped only minutes before Israeli tanks encircled the area,” he said.
Israeli forces reportedly advanced toward Al-Salateen neighbourhood in western Beit Lahia, with tanks surrounding a school sheltering displaced civilians.
The strike follows Thursday’s Israeli air raids in southern Gaza that killed over 120 people. The IDF claimed to have targeted more than 150 sites across the strip in the last 24 hours.
Despite the heavy bombardment, Israel has yet to launch its widely threatened full-scale offensive. The Israeli government has warned it will reoccupy Gaza indefinitely if Hamas does not agree to a temporary ceasefire and release hostages.
Efforts for a truce remain stalled, with mediators in Doha seeking more time. The previous ceasefire, agreed in January, collapsed after Israel resumed airstrikes in March. A total blockade has been enforced since then, cutting off humanitarian aid, drawing strong criticism from the UN and global powers.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz defended the blockade as a “pressure lever” to defeat Hamas and retrieve hostages. However, the humanitarian crisis is deepening. Aid agencies and residents say people are starving. A UN-backed report warned that the entire population of Gaza—around 2.1 million—is at risk of famine.
Israel and the US have proposed aid distribution through private firms, a plan rejected by the UN.
Expressing concern, US President Donald Trump said the US “needs to help out the Palestinians” and acknowledged widespread starvation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the administration was “troubled” by the worsening humanitarian conditions.
Israel's military campaign began after Hamas's cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken. Since then, over 53,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to its health ministry. Fifty-eight hostages are believed to still be held, with 23 possibly alive.