Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed more than 250 people.
Local health authorities confirmed the incident on Friday, May 16, 2025.
The air and artillery strikes were focused on the northern section of the tiny, crowded enclave, where dozens of people including women and children were killed overnight, said Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Khalil al-Deqran.
Israel has intensified its bombardment and built up armour along the border despite growing international pressure for it to resume ceasefire talks and end its blockade of Gaza, where an international hunger monitor has warned of famine.
United States President Donald Trump on Friday backed aid for the Palestinians, saying people in Gaza are starving and adding that he expected “a lot of good things” in the next month.
Asked whether he supported Israeli plans to expand the war in Gaza, Trump told reporters: “I think a lot of good things are going to happen over the next month, and we’re going to see.
“We have to help also out the Palestinians. You know, a lot of people are starving on Gaza, so we have to look at both sides.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 5 that Israel was planning an expanded and intensive offensive against Hamas as his security cabinet approved plans that could involve seizing the entire Gaza Strip and controlling aid.
An Israeli defence official told Reuters at the time that the operation would not be launched before Trump concluded his visit to the Middle East, which is expected to end on Friday.
Israel’s declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages.
Its military campaign has devastated the enclave, pushing nearly all inhabitants from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people according to Gaza health authorities, while aid agencies say its blockade has caused a humanitarian crisis.
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