The air strikes would have killed hundreds of people in Gaza while Israel intensified its bombing in accordance with a “conquest” plan of the enclave.
Although reports vary, health officials told Tel Aviv Tribune that at least 100 people had been killed by Israeli attacks on Friday, with many others missing under the rubble.
This added to the 143 reported the day before, and pushed the overall assessment of the Palestinian territory to more than 53,000 people since Israel launched its assault in October 2023 after an attack on Hamas which killed around 1,200 Israelis and saw around 250 captive sockets.
Hamas has called on the international community to take Israel to account for what it described as a “barbaric escalation”. The Israeli army did not comment on the strikes.
Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated a promise to move forward with a climbing promised in pursuing his goal of destroying Hamas, the Palestinian Armed Group that governs Gaza.
This is following an announcement from Netanyahu last week that the military campaign would be intensified if Hamas does not accept an agreement to release the remaining captives when US President Donald Trump ended his Middle East visit.
Trump was to conclude his four -day trip on Friday, which did not include a visit to Israel or Palestine.
There was hope that the tour could help inaugurate a ceasefire agreement or a renewal of assistance in Gaza. The enclave humanitarian crisis is built with an Israeli blockade in the territory now in its third month.
However, Israeli officials suggested last week that the plans include the “conquest” and the complete military occupation of the entire Gaza Strip, and potentially an attempt to push the Palestinians out of the enclave – a suggestion also presented by Trump.
The War of Israel against Gaza killed at least 53,010 Palestinians and injured 119,919, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The government’s media office of the Strip has updated its number of deaths at more than 61,700, saying that thousands of other missing under the rubble are presumed dead.
‘Not for sale’
Israel has interrupted the entry of food, drugs and all other essential elements in Gaza since March 2, saying that the blockade, alongside “military pressure”, is intended to force Hamas to release the remaining captives.
However, the senior Hamas official, Naim, reiterated the group’s position on Thursday that the entry of Aid to Gaza is a prerequisite for everything with Israel.
“Access to food, water and medicine is a fundamental human right-not a subject of negotiation,” he added.
The United States and Israel are preparing a plan which, according to them, will allow the resumption of help by an NGO, while keeping the supplies out of the hands of Hamas.
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it would start to distribute aid this month. However, the United Nations and other aid organizations have excluded participation in the initiative, claiming that it does not respect the impartiality, neutrality and independence of aid operations.
However, the United States is growing, apparently eager to “get involved” in Gaza, as Trump said during his trip to the region.
Speaking to the United Arab Emirates on Friday, the American president said: “We are looking at Gaza. And we are going to face each other. Many people are hungry.”
The day before, however, he reiterated his idea of ensuring that the United States took control of Gaza and pushed the Palestinians out of the enclave.
“I have concepts for Gaza which, I think, are very good … Let the United States get involved and make it just an area of freedom,” he said, adding that it would be “proud to make the United States, take it,” made it a freedom of freedom “.
The comments echoed a largely condemned idea that he floated in February so that the United States “takes over” the devastated territory and redeveloping it in “the riviera of the Middle East”.
In response, Hamas manager Naim said that the territory was “not for sale”.
“Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian lands,” he said. “It is not real estate for sale on the free market.”
