Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed at least 64 people in the Gaza Strip, according to hospital officials, as US President Donald Trump ended his Middle East visit without stopping in Israel or advancing a ceasefire.
Officials told news agency Associated Press that 48 bodies were brought to the Indonesian Hospital and 16 to Nasser Hospital after strikes hit areas around Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. The Israeli military has not commented.
The attacks come as Gaza remains under an Israeli blockade, now in its third month, which has cut off food, fuel, and medicine. Israel says the blockade is meant to pressure Hamas to release hostages.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces were preparing a ground operation to “destroy Hamas.” It’s unclear if Friday’s bombardment signals the start of that plan. Israeli officials met Friday to review ceasefire talks in Qatar, the report said.
Hostage families called on Netanyahu to support efforts to secure a deal, warning that inaction would be a “historic failure.”
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in southern Israel. Since then, over 53,000 Palestinians have died, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Nearly 3,000 have been killed since a ceasefire ended on March 18.
