Health officials said air strikes killed the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing dozens of people.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the deadliest bombing hit the vicinity of a popular cafe in Gaza, where young people gathered to use the internet and killed 33 people. A ministry official Zaher al-Wuhaidi said hospitals in the Gaza Strip reported casualties caused by other air strikes throughout the day. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the target.
Israel announced earlier this week that the new violence occurred when Israel called on thousands of military reserve personnel to expand the war. Israeli leaders said they hope the campaign will urge Hamas to compromise in the stalled ceasefire negotiations and release its still-hostages in Gaza.
In Gaza, the body of the young man was scattered outside the cafe as the woman looked at the cafe in horror, according to the New York Times photographer on the scene. A mourner outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza held his head tightly and wore a sweatshirt that said “Okay.”
Dr Munir Al-Bursh, director-general of the Gaza Ministry of Health, said a hospital could not accommodate a large number of casualties. The strike is tense The Gaza Strip is already overwhelmed with health departments. Health officials said 59 people were killed around the enclave on Wednesday. Their pass does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Videos obtained by Reuters News Agency show people running while carrying wounded stretchers. I saw a donkey moving in the blood on the ground.
“Neither people nor animals are safe, neither young nor old,” said witness Ahmed Al-Saoudi.
“Enough bloodshed happened,” he said.
The suffering of Gaza people is a terrible humanitarian situation. Hunger in Gaza has been soaring since Israel imposed a lockdown on aid supplies in March, prompting the United Nations to warn of “the growing humanitarian disaster” this week. Israel believes its blockade is legal and Gaza still has enough regulations available.
Speaking to Israeli forces, Defense Minister Katz said that the displacement of Gaza people, many of whom have only recently been allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza – will protect Israeli forces “from all types of threats”.
He described it as part of a new military offensive that will begin after President Trump’s visit to the Middle East next week. He said before that, Hamas had a “window of opportunity” to agree to a new ceasefire negotiation and release Israeli hostages.
“The entire Gaza population will be evacuated to the southern part of Gaza while establishing a distinction between them and Hamas terrorists,” Katz said. “Unlike in the past, the IDF will remain in any conquered territory to prevent terrorism from returning, clearing and thwarting any threats.”
Hamas spokesman Bassem Naim accused Israel of trying to “continue genocide and threaten to escalate military operations through a strategy of hunger,” but had no guarantee of ending the 18-month war. “This kind of attempt will not succeed in breaking the will of our people or their resistance,” Naim said.
Even before Mr. Kaz announced the news, plans by the people of northern Gaza prompted a new despair among Palestinian civilians on the territory, many of whom have been displaced since the war began.
“We don’t even want to hear the word 'evacuation' again,” said Anees, 31, a displaced Palestinian living in a temporary shelter in northern Gaza. Mr Jainde said his family had been displaced at least six times since the war began in October 2023.
Mr. Jander added: “Displacement means death, humiliation, homelessness.”
Mr. Jander is likely to be one of the first to be affected by Israel’s plans to capture a large number of Gaza and force people living there. Israeli authorities said on Monday they called on thousands of military reserve personnel to expand the war. Israeli leaders said they hope the campaign will urge Hamas to compromise in the stalled ceasefire negotiations and release its still-hostages in Gaza.
All of this leads to a deeper melancholy among Gaza civilians. Wafa Al-Ghouty, 35, a five-year-old accountant and mother, said she has been displaced seven times since the war began. She is now sheltering in a tent on the southern coast of Gaza.
“This situation is extremely challenging, not only because of repeated displacement, but also because of the hunger and helplessness of not being able to provide or even a loaf of bread,” Ms. Al-Ghouty said in an interview. “Every time we settled, we were forced to move again.”
Ms. Al-Ghouty said she plans to cook her last bag of pasta within 24 hours. “Sometimes, we're very focused on survival – finding food and medicine for kids – we missed the news,” she said. “But the announcement hits like lightning.” She said she's already filled with a small bag with kids' clothes and key documents, ready for what might happen next.
Nearly two months have passed since the ceasefire broke out since Israel resumed its military campaign. The new attack brought about daily nearly daily air strikes and escalated ground operations, killing and hurting thousands.
According to the United Nations, more than 1.9 million people, the majority of Gaza's population, have been displaced since the war began.
The humanitarian situation has worsened in recent weeks due to Israel's lockdown on aid supplies. Most bakeries are no longer operating, food stocks are exhausted, and medical supplies are steeply low.
Mr Jainde said he was working to provide basic necessities for his two children. Now, the family only eats one meal a day.
“Every hour is worse than before,” he said.
Aaron Boxerman Contribution report.
