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Los Angeles Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
54 people killed in overnight airstrikes on southern Gaza city, hospital says
KHAN YUNIS, Gaza Strip — Multiple airstrikes hit Gaza's southern city of Khan Yunis overnight into Thursday, killing more than 50 people in a second consecutive night of heavy bombing, while another airstrike in the north of the Palestinian territory left more than a dozen people dead, authorities said. The strikes come as President Trump visits the Middle East, visiting Gulf states but not Israel. There had been widespread hope that Trump's regional visit could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month. An Associated Press cameraman in Khan Yunis counted 10 airstrikes on the city overnight into Thursday, and saw numerous bodies taken to the morgue in the city's Nasser Hospital. It took time to identify some of the bodies due to the extent of their injuries. The hospital's morgue confirmed 54 people had been killed. The dead included a journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV, the network announced on social media, saying Hasan Samour had been killed along with 11 members of his family in one of the strikes in Khan Yunis. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes. It was the second night of heavy bombing, after airstrikes Wednesday on northern and southern Gaza killed at least 70 people, including almost two dozen children. Another strike in Jabaliya in northern Gaza hit a complex including a mosque and a small medical clinic, killing 13 people, said the Civil Defense, a first responder agency operating under Gaza's Hamas-run government. In Nasser Hospital, Safaa Al-Najjar, her face stained with blood, wept as the shroud-wrapped bodies of two of her children were brought to her: 1½-year-old Motaz Al-Bayyok and 1½ month-old Moaz Al-Bayyok. The family was caught in the overnight airstrikes. All five of Al-Najjar's other children, ranging in ages from 3 to 12, were injured, while her husband was in intensive care. One of her sons, 11-year-old Yusuf, his head heavily bandaged, screamed in grief as the shroud of his younger sibling was parted to show his face. 'I gave them dinner and put them to sleep as usual, it was a normal day. Suddenly I don't know what happened, the world went upside down,' she said as others tried to comfort her. 'I don't know, I don't know … what is their fault? What is their fault?' Outside the hospital, mourners gathered to pray as the dead, laid out in rows in white body bags, were loaded onto a truck to be taken for burial. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier in the week to push ahead with a promised escalation of force in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip to pursue his aim of destroying the Hamas militant group, which governs Gaza. In comments released by Netanyahu's office Tuesday, the prime minister said Israeli forces were days away from entering Gaza 'with great strength to complete the mission ... It means destroying Hamas.' International rights group Human Rights Watch said Thursday that Israel's stated plan of seizing Gaza and displacing hundreds of thousands of people 'inches closer to extermination,' and called on the international community to speak out against it. The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an Oct. 7, 2023, intrusion into southern Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. Almost 3,000 have been killed since Israel broke a ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said. The Health Ministry said Thursday morning that the bodies of 82 people killed in Israeli strikes, including the 54 in Khan Yunis, had been brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours. The overall Palestinian death toll rose to 53,010, with another 119,998 people wounded. Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three of those. Gaza's Health Ministry said Thursday that Israeli strikes have rendered the European Hospital Khan Yunis — the only remaining facility providing cancer treatments in Gaza — out of service due to severe damage to its infrastructure and access roads. The shutdown halts all specialized treatments, including cardiac surgeries and cancer care, the ministry added. The Israeli military conducted two airstrikes against the European Hospital on Tuesday, saying it was targeting a Hamas command center beneath the facility. Six people were killed in the strike. European Hospital director Imad al-Hout told AP there had been 200 patients in the hospital at the time of Tuesday's strikes. They were all gradually evacuated, with the last 90 transferred to other hospitals, including Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, on Wednesday morning. Efforts were now underway to coordinate repairs to the facility, he added. Palestinians in northern Gaza lined up Thursday near areas under Israeli bombardment in a desperate attempt to obtain food, as Israel's aid blockade entered its third month. At the charity kitchen set up atop piles of rubble in Beit Lahia, dozens of Palestinians stood in a crowded line, pressing against one another, holding empty pots and plastic containers high in the air in hopes of receiving vegetable soup. Um Abed, who is displaced with 20 family members, waited in line from 9 a.m. and went home empty-handed for the second day in a row as the number of people far exceeded the available food. 'I have a 3-year-old child who's crying all day because he wants to eat … we want them to stop the war and to allow food in,' Um Abed cried and yelled as she held up her empty pot to the camera. Israel's offensive has obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape and displaced 90% of the population, often multiple times. It halted the entry of all aid, including food and medication, into the territory on March 2, and international food security experts have warned that Gaza will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation while 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Israeli government spokesman David Mencer on Thursday denied there was a food shortage in Gaza and claimed Hamas was 'holding onto it ... they need to open up the food to the people.' Human Rights Watch said Israel's plan to seize Gaza and remain there, coupled with the 'systematic destruction' of civilian infrastructure and the block on all imports into the territory, were cause for signatories to the Genocide Convention to act to prevent Israel's moves. The group also called on Hamas to free the hostages it still holds. Israel vehemently denies accusations that it is committing genocide in Gaza. Jahjouh and Goldenberg write for the Associated Press. Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv.
Middle East Eye
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel kills over 100 in one of deadliest days since Gaza war resumed
Israeli air strikes killed more than 100 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, marking one of the deadliest days in recent weeks. The attacks targeted journalists, a prayer room, and residential homes, among others. The wave of strikes began with an intense bombardment of Khan Younis in southern Gaza overnight, where more than 60 people were killed, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence search-and-rescue organisation. Among the casualties was journalist Hasan Samour, who was killed alongside 11 members of his family when their home was struck. Samour worked for the Qatari television network Al Araby TV and the local Al-Aqsa Voice Radio. Another journalist, Ahmad al-Helo, was also killed in a separate strike, according to local media reports. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The Gaza-based Government Media Office said the deaths of Samour and al-Helo brought the total number of journalists killed since the start of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023 to 217 - a toll described by monitoring groups as the 'worst-ever conflict' for journalists. In the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli strikes hit the Touba complex in Jabalia, which includes a prayer room and a medical clinic. The attack killed 15 people, including 11 children and women, according to Al Jazeera. Disturbing footage from the scene showed children among the dead, as frantic relatives searched for survivors. The wave of attacks is one of the most intense in a single day since Israel reneged the January ceasefire agreement and resumed bombing Gaza nearly two months ago. Israeli forces have killed more than 53,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, including at least 15,000 children. At least 10,000 more people are missing and presumed dead, while nearly 120,000 have been wounded. Sweeping expulsions Amid the intensifying strikes, the Israeli military issued sweeping expulsion orders late on Wednesday, covering key and densely populated areas of northern Gaza, including the vicinity of al-Shifa Hospital and the Rimal neighbourhood. Meanwhile, the European Hospital in southern Gaza - the only health facility still providing cancer treatment - went out of service on Thursday after repeated Israeli strikes damaged critical infrastructure and surrounding roads, according to the Ministry of Health. The hospital had been offering specialised services, including cardiac and cancer care. From feast to survival: The 'fake' makloubeh and fattah of a starving Gaza Read More » Earlier this week, Israeli forces struck the facility twice, killing several people. The military claimed it was targeting a Hamas command centre allegedly operating beneath the hospital. The Palestinian group denied the accusation. Hundreds of patients were transferred to other medical centres, including Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which was also hit on Tuesday. Among those killed was Palestinian journalist Hassan Aslih, who was recovering there at the time. According to a UN OCHA report, between 7 October 2023 and 7 May 2025, the World Health Organization documented 686 attacks on Gaza's health sector, affecting 122 facilities and 180 ambulances. Since the resumption of bombing in March, several major hospitals, including the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital and Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, have been damaged or destroyed. 'Take over' Gaza The heavy bombing and renewed expulsion orders come as mediators are reportedly pushing for a new ceasefire deal in Qatar. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, currently on a regional tour with stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, proposed on Thursday that Washington 'take over' the Gaza Strip and transform it into a 'freedom zone.' Trump said the United States would oversee reconstruction efforts, including clearing unexploded ordnance and rebuilding infrastructure, but insisted that no American troops would be deployed on the ground. This latest proposal follows comments he made in February during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, where he suggested that the US take control of Gaza and turn it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East.' At the time, Trump outlined a vision to redevelop the devastated enclave into a resort destination, proposing the resettlement of Palestinians to neighbouring countries and inviting 'the world's people' to inhabit the area. The proposals have drawn widespread criticism from Arab leaders and international observers, who argue they undermine Palestinian self-determination and risk inflaming regional tensions.
CTV News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
54 people killed in overnight airstrikes on southern Gaza city, hospital says
Palestinians evacuate after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning for several schools and a hospital in Gaza City's Rimal neighbourhood, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Multiple airstrikes hit Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis overnight into Thursday, killing more than 50 people in a second consecutive night of heavy bombing. The strikes come as U.S. President Donald Trump visits the Middle East, visiting Gulf states but not Israel. There had been widespread hope that Trump's regional visit could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month. An Associated Press cameraman in Khan Younis counted 10 airstrikes on the city overnight into Thursday, and saw numerous bodies taken to the morgue in the city's Nasser Hospital. Some bodies arrived in pieces, with some body bags containing the remains of multiple people. The hospital's morgue confirmed 54 people had been killed. The dead included a journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV, the network announced on social media, saying Hasan Samour had been killed along with 11 members of his family in one of the strikes in Khan Younis. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes. It was the second night of heavy bombing, after airstrikes Wednesday on northern and southern Gaza killed at least 70 people, including almost two dozen children. Israel has vowed to escalate the war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier in the week to push ahead with a promised escalation of force in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip to pursue his aim of destroying the Hamas militant group, which governs Gaza. In comments released by Netanyahu's office Tuesday, the prime minister said Israeli forces were days away from entering Gaza 'with great strength to complete the mission ... It means destroying Hamas.' International rights group Human Rights Watch said Thursday that Israel's stated plan of seizing Gaza and displacing hundreds of thousands of people 'inches closer to extermination,' and called on the international community to speak out against it. The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an Oct. 7, 2023 intrusion into southern Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed nearly 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. Almost 3,000 have been killed since Israel broke a ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said. Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three of those. Gaza's only hospital providing cancer treatments out of service due to Israeli strikes Gaza's Health Ministry said Thursday that Israeli strikes have rendered the European Hospital Khan Younis — the only remaining facility providing cancer treatments in Gaza — out of service due to severe damage to its infrastructure and access roads. The shutdown halts all specialized treatments, including cardiac surgeries and cancer care, the ministry added. The Israeli military conducted two airstrikes against the European Hospital Tuesday, saying it was targeting a Hamas command centre beneath the facility. Six people were killed in the strike. European Hospital director Imad al-Hout told AP there had been 200 patients in the hospital at the time of Tuesday's strikes. They were all gradually evacuated, with the last 90 transferred to other hospitals, including Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, on Wednesday morning. Efforts were now underway to coordinate repairs to the facility, he added. Israeli blockade of aid into Gaza in its third month Israel's offensive has obliterated vast swathes of Gaza's urban landscape and displaced 90% of the population, often multiple times. It halted the entry of all aid, including food and medication, into the territory on March 2, and international food security experts have warned that Gaza will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation while 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Human Rights Watch said Israel's plan to seize Gaza and remain there, coupled with the 'systematic destruction' of civilian infrastructure and the block on all imports into the territory, were cause for signatories to the Genocide Convention to act to prevent Israel's moves. Israel vehemently denies accusations that it is committing genocide in Gaza. The group also called on Hamas to free the hostages it still holds. ___ Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Mohammad Jahjouh And Tia Goldenberg, The Associated Press
The National
15-05-2025
- Health
- The National
Israeli strikes kill more than 50 people in Gaza Strip
Multiple airstrikes were seen in the southern city of Khan Younis overnight into Thursday, with the Al Nasser Hospital confirming 54 people had been killed. The dead included Hasan Samour, a journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV. The network announced on social media that he had been killed along with 11 members of his family in one of the strikes in Khan Younis. READ MORE: Ben & Jerry's co-founder arrested after Gaza protest at US Capitol The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes. It was the second night of heavy bombing, after Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday on northern and southern Gaza killed at least 70 people, including almost two dozen children. The latest strikes come as US president Donald Trump visits the Middle East – although he is not visiting Israel – amid hopes of a ceasefire deal or a renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Earlier this week, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces were days away from entering Gaza 'with great strength to complete the mission … It means destroying Hamas'. And on Thursday, international rights group Human Rights Watch said that Israel's stated plan to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the territory for an unspecified amount of time "inches closer to extermination". Israel's war on Gaza has killed nearly 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, and displaced 90% of the population in Gaza, often multiple times. READ MORE: Trans Westminster staff call for clarity over Supreme Court ruling Gaza's Health Ministry said almost 3000 people have been killed since Israel broke the ceasefire deal on March 18. On March 2, Israel halted the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza, with experts warning of famine if Israel does not lift its blockade. Nearly half-a-million Palestinians are facing possible starvation, while one million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises.
News18
15-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
54 People Killed In Overnight Airstrikes On Southern Gaza City
Last Updated: The dead included a journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV, the network announced on social media. Multiple airstrikes have hit Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis overnight, killing more than 50 people in a second consecutive night of heavy bombing. An Associated Press cameraman in Khan Younis counted 10 airstrikes on the city overnight into Thursday, and saw numerous bodies taken to the morgue in the city's Nasser Hospital. Some bodies arrived in pieces, with some body bags containing the remains of multiple people. The hospital's morgue confirmed 54 people had been killed. The dead included a journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV, the network announced on social media, saying Hasan Samour had been killed along with 11 members of his family in one of the strikes in Khan Younis. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes. It was the second night of heavy bombing, after airstrikes Wednesday on northern and southern Gaza killed at least 70 people, including almost two dozen children. The strikes come as U.S. President Donald Trump visits the Middle East, visiting Gulf states but not Israel. There had been widespread hope that Trump's regional visit could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier in the week to push ahead with a promised escalation of force in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip to pursue his aim of destroying the Hamas militant group. The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an Oct. 7, 2023 intrusion into southern Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed nearly 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. Almost 3,000 have been killed since Israel broke a ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said. Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three of those. Israel's offensive has obliterated vast swathes of Gaza's urban landscape and displaced 90% of the population, often multiple times. It halted the entry of all aid, including food and medication, into the territory on March 2, and international food security experts have warned that Gaza will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation while 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Human Rights Watch said Israel's plan to seize Gaza and remain there, coupled with the 'systematic destruction" of civilian infrastructure and the block on all imports into the territory, were cause for signatories to the Genocide Convention to act to prevent Israel's moves. Israel vehemently denies accusations that it is committing genocide in Gaza. The group also called on Hamas to free the 58 hostages it still holds in Gaza, 23 of whom are believed to be alive.
