Israel escalates airstrikes as Gaza suffers heavy casualties
As a result of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday and Wednesday, at least 92 people were killed, according to the Associated Press, citing local authority data. Israel has announced a further escalation of military actions, and government representatives speak of a plan for the "total destruction" of the enclave.
The most tragic events were two attacks on Wednesday at a crowded market in Gaza City. At least 33 people were killed there, and 86 were injured. Among the victims were women and children. Sources emphasize that these numbers may be underestimated, and the actual number of casualties is likely higher.
On Tuesday evening, the Israeli air force struck a school in the town of Bureij in central Gaza, which served as a shelter for refugees. 27 people were killed there, including nine women and three children. The complex had reportedly been targeted multiple times before. The Israeli army claims that a Hamas command centre operated in the building.
Attack on the Gaza Strip
Another airstrike, conducted on Wednesday morning on another school converted into a shelter, resulted in the deaths of 16 people. On the same day, another 16 civilians were killed in various places in Gaza.
In the southern city of Rafah, which is under Israeli control, the army continues demolishing and blowing up buildings. According to residents' accounts, the situation is becoming increasingly dramatic.
The Israeli government has approved a new offensive strategy against Hamas. The plan entails a multi-phase operation: relocation of civilians to the south of the Strip, occupation of the remaining areas, long-term occupation, and elimination of Hamas structures. Simultaneously, humanitarian aid is to be resumed, but under revised terms.
Will the Gaza Strip be eliminated?
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, representing the ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism party, announced that within six months, Hamas would be completely destroyed. He added that "Gaza will be totally destroyed," and the civilian population would be "concentrated" in the southern part of the territory. Smotrich also suggested that the living conditions of Palestinians would lead to their mass emigration.
The offensive, named Operation "Gideon's Chariots," is to kick off after the visit of US President Donald Trump to the Middle East, which is scheduled for May 13–16. By that time, as Defence Minister Israel Katz announced, there still exists a chance for reaching a ceasefire and freeing Israeli hostages.
The war in the Gaza Strip has been ongoing since October 7, 2023, when Hamas conducted an armed attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 251. According to figures provided by local authorities subordinate to Hamas, in response to this attack, over 52,500 Palestinians have already been killed.
Meanwhile, mediation talks conducted by Egypt and Qatar are ongoing, though they have so far not yielded a breakthrough. Israel remains adamant, demanding the complete disarmament of Hamas and its removal from Gaza's political life.
