At least 58 Palestinians were killed overnight as Israel ramped up airstrikes on Gaza, signaling a full ground assault may be imminent after Trump’s exit from the region.
By Joe D. | May 17, 2025
Israeli bombings claimed at least 58 Palestinians, marking one of the worst 24-hour spans since the fall of the last ceasefire, so Northern Gaza fell into more anarchy overnight. Many worried the events would set off Israel’s long-awaited ground invasion as they came only hours after U.S. President Donald Trump departed the area without obtaining a truce.
Local hospitals are overrun; doctors are calling the situation disastrous. Many victims stay trapped under debris as emergency personnel fight to keep up under continuous bombardment.
Diplomacy Fails, Air Campaign Escalates
Local health officials report that since Thursday Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed more than 300 people. The most recent round of violence follows Trump’s four-day Middle East trip, which concluded Friday with no real advancement in truce negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Under what Israel calls “Operation Gideon’s Wagons,” a campaign allegedly meant to recover captives, destroy Hamas’s leadership, and seize control of important areas inside the enclave, Israel has now verified it is getting ready to increase its military operations in Gaza.
Read More: Israel Strikes Gaza After Trump Departs Without Ceasefire
Officials have said that the complete ground assault was improbable to start until after Trump’s departure, which now seems to have been fulfilled. In recent days, armored units and ground troops have assembled close the border.
Humanitarian Crisis Intensifies
Gaza’s two million inhabitants are finding the situation fast worsening. As Israel’s siege on supplies approaches its 76th day, the United Nations has cautioned that hunger is becoming more and more concerning. Though Israeli authorities have sanctioned restricted help under highly regulated circumstances, delivery strategies are still on hold because of security issues and logistical challenges.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that since Israel started its military reaction to the October 7 Hamas onslaught, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and saw hundreds taken hostage, more than 53,000 people have died.
Hospitals and shelters are short on space, fuel, and medications. Critical patients exceed resources at the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza; medical personnel said most of those hurt now need surgery or severe care.
#Gravitas | A deadly new chapter in Gaza’s ongoing crisis is unfolding as Israeli airstrikes intensify, killing over 50 people overnight and pushing the war’s death toll past 53,000. Clinics and civilian centers have been hit. @MollyGambhir decodes. pic.twitter.com/Wb4G8bUMIk
— WION (@WIONews) May 16, 2025
Political pressure clouds further steps
With preparations to take control of Gaza and destroy Hamas’s last command structures, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that an all-out assault stays on the table. Simultaneously, especially in view of rising civilian deaths, foreign demands for a revived ceasefire are becoming more vocal.
Before departing Abu Dhabi, President Trump recognized the situation and said that food supply were urgently required but there was no obvious diplomatic success. As military activities on the ground get more intense, it is unclear whether his administration will go back to mediation.
