Gaza City, May 17 (EFE).– Israeli troops advanced overnight toward Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, while airstrikes pounded the enclave, particularly in the north, Palestinian media reported on Saturday.
The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, said Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours killed 153 people, including at least 72 in northern Gaza, and wounded more than 450.
More than 20 others have already been killed in fresh strikes on Saturday, health sources told EFE.
The Israeli army confirmed the intensifying bombardment in a statement, saying it aimed to “achieve operational control” as part of “preparations to expand military operations.”
On May 5, Israel’s security cabinet unanimously approved a plan to “occupy and retain” parts of Gaza, marking a shift from the earlier strategy of temporary incursions.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the new plan replaces earlier tactics with a strategy of “occupation and permanence” in the enclave.
Meanwhile, Israel’s continued blockade of humanitarian aid, now in place for over two months, is bringing Gaza’s few remaining hospitals to the brink of collapse.
Raafat Ali Al Majdalawi, director general of the Al Awda Health and Community Association, which runs several hospitals and clinics across Gaza, warned Saturday that services face “complete shutdown in the coming days.”
He said Al Awda Hospital in northern Gaza hasn’t received diesel since Apr. 17, while the central branch has gone without since Feb. 17.
Fuel austerity measures have been imposed, with only two of nine ambulances still operating and hours reduced at primary care and community centers.
The UN World Food Programme reported that a community kitchen in Deir al-Balah, which fed 5,000 people daily, has now closed.
Human rights groups have warned for weeks that conditions in Gaza are pushing the population to the brink of famine.
The overall death toll from Israel’s offensive has now reached 53,272, mostly women and children, with 120,673 injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry’s latest figures on Saturday. EFE
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