Israel begins Gaza ground operation, kills 140 in relentless bombardment
Agencies
tel aviv/Gaza
The Israeli military has announced the start of extensive new ground operations throughout northern and southern Gaza, on a day it killed at least 140 people in waves of relentless strikes across the Palestinian enclave.
At least 36 people were killed and more than 100 wounded when Israeli warplanes bombed a tent camp sheltering displaced Palestinians in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
Verified videos from the scene showed many bodies, including some on fire. The dead and wounded were taken to a nearby field hospital and the Nasser Medical Complex.
At least 135 people were killed on Sunday morning, including 42 in the heavily bombed northern parts of Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera Arabic. Five journalists were also among the victims when their homes were bombed. At least 464 Palestinians have been killed in the past week as the Israeli military prepared to significantly intensify its ground invasion of the Palestinian territory despite international criticism. At least 53,339 Palestinians have been killed and 121,034 wounded since the start of the war in October 2023, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health.
The Israeli army on Sunday confirmed the start of Operation Gideon's Chariots, which will involve regular and reserve soldiers of the Southern Command leading the ground invasion of both northern and southern Gaza, backed by the air force.
It reported attacking more than 670 places in Gaza over the past week and claimed all were 'Hamas targets' located both above and beneath the ground. Israel has been accused of disproportionately targeting civilians in Gaza, including displaced families.
Among the targets have been three major hospitals, adding to the systematic targeting of healthcare facilities across the enclave that has now put three hospitals out of commission this week alone.
The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza was rendered nonoperational on Sunday after the Israeli army laid siege to it beginning at dawn. Marwan al-Sultan, the director of the facility, which was the last functioning public hospital in the north, described the situation as 'catastrophic' and called on international organisations to press for medical teams' safety.
Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, told Al Jazeera that the bombing of the Indonesian Hospital is severely impacting chances of survival for those in need of medical care.
Thousands of sick and wounded people could die, he warned, adding that blood donations are urgently needed.
Dr Muhammad Zaqout, the director general of hospitals in Gaza, condemned 'Israel's systematic measures against hospitals'. 'Israel deliberately kills wounded people by preventing them from reaching hospitals and directly targets patients, the wounded and medical staff inside hospitals,' he told Al Jazeera.
He said al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza's Jabalia and European Gaza Hospital in southern Gaza have also been bombed, endangering patients and medical staff.
Hamas said in a statement early on Sunday that the attacks on displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis marked a 'brutal crime' that was a flagrant violation of international laws and norms.
'By granting the terrorist occupation government political and military cover, the United States administration bears direct responsibility for this insane escalation in the targeting of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, including children, women, and the elderly,' the Palestinian group said, also condemning the 'ongoing persecution and killing' of media workers.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel's expanding operation in Gaza. 'I am alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more,' he said on X on Saturday. On Saturday, both Israel and Hamas confirmed that more mediated talks were under way in Qatar.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Qatar Tribune
Aid seekers in Gaza continue to be targeted as Israeli attacks kill 26
At least 26 people, including more aid seekers, have been killed in the latest Israeli attacks on Gaza. The attacks come as desperate Palestinians under Israeli blockade continue to wait at food distribution points amid an ongoing hunger crisis. Among those killed during Israeli attacks on the besieged enclave on Saturday, 11 were aid recipients at distribution centres run by the United States-and-Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which the United Nations has condemned for its 'weaponisation' of aid. Meanwhile, Wafa news agency reported that at least three people were killed and several others wounded by an Israeli drone strike that targeted displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza. The report said that the attack targeted a tent sheltering displaced members of the Shurrab family. The tent was located in an area the Israeli military had previously designated as a 'safe zone'. In the last 48 hours, at least 202 people have been killed, including four recovered bodies after Israeli attacks, and 1,037 wounded by Israeli attacks across Gaza, the Health Ministry reported. Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, at least 55,908 people have been killed, and 131,138 have been wounded in Israeli attacks. In recent days, Israeli attacks on aid distribution sites in Gaza have ramped up as thousands of Palestinians gather daily in the hope of receiving food rations following a two-month Israeli blockade of aid deliveries. On Saturday, three people were killed at a GHF site in Khan Younis after Israeli forces opened fire. Several people were also wounded and taken to medical facilities. Omar al-Hobi, a displaced Palestinian in Khan Younis, told Al Jazeera from a hospital that walking to those sites means you 'enter the point of death'. 'I call it the point of death. The tank is in front of us, the machinegun is in front of us, and the quadcopter is above us, and there are soldiers on the ground with snipers. Anyone who moves before the time is shot, and the moment the tank retreats, we start running,' al-Hobi said. Israel claims its attacks at the aid sites have been to control crowds, but witnesses and humanitarian groups have said that many of the shootings took place unprovoked, resulting in hundreds of casualties. The Red Cross said on Thursday, the 'vast majority' of patients who arrived at its field hospital in the enclave since the GHF aid system began at the end of last month had reported that they were wounded while trying to access aid or around distribution points. Meanwhile, Wafa, citing the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in the Gaza Strip, reports that there has been a disruption in internet and landline services affecting the governorates of Gaza, which include Gaza City, and north Gaza. There is currently an ongoing outage in the southern and central areas of the Gaza Strip that has lasted for more than three days.
Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
‘Tanawwo' sparks int'l collaboration in precision health and genomics
Tribune News Network Doha 'Tanawwo', a newly launched global network by the Qatar Precision Health Institute (QPHI), seeks to revolutionise the field of precision health and genomics. Named after the Arabic word for 'diversity', the initiative reflects its mission to unite researchers, clinicians, and experts from around the world to advance collaborative genomics research. Launched in December 2024 following a two-day workshop in Doha titled 'Setting up Large-scale Programmes to Empower Precision Health', Tanawwo' brought together participants from over 17 countries to explore innovations in biobanking and predictive genomics for public health. As a regional leader in genomics, Qatar is playing a key role in shaping the global dialogue. 'This workshop shows how different perspectives can come together for something bigger,' said Dima Darwish, Genomics Education Expert at QPHI. 'Qatar is proud to lead in genomics, and we are excited to invite scientists and policymakers from around the world to join us on this journey.' Tanawwo' aims to ensure long-term collaboration beyond workshops. It offers members a platform to share resources, co-develop research, and collectively tackle pressing global health challenges. Its inclusive nature brings together professionals from diverse backgrounds—across disciplines, sectors, and nations—enabling ethical data integration, protecting patient privacy, and driving real-world clinical applications. Following its debut in Doha, a second Tanawwo' workshop was hosted in Algeria in May 2025. This session introduced participants to advanced computational techniques for genomic sequence analysis, gene prediction, variant calling, and data visualisation. It also offered a foundational overview of bioinformatics and its applications in clinical genomics and pharmacogenomics. Darwish emphasised that Tanawwo' is just beginning. 'We are already planning what's next—looking deeper into molecular analysis and expanding what we can achieve together.' Darwish emphasised that Tanawwo' is just beginning. 'We are already planning what's next—looking deeper into molecular analysis and expanding what we can achieve together.'
Qatar Tribune
5 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
Dozens of Palestinians reported killed near aid distribution centre in Gaza
dpa Tel Aviv The Israeli military has again killed people waiting near a distribution centre for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas authorities there. The Hamas-controlled health authority said there had been more than 50 fatalities and around 200 injured in the south of the sealed-off coastal area. It did not give any details. Eyewitnesses told DPA that some people were on foot and others in vehicles on their way to a distribution centre when the Israeli army shelled them in an area between the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis. The Israeli army stated that a humanitarian aid truck had become stuck near Khan Younis. A crowd had gathered in the area, where Israeli forces were operating, and approached the soldiers. The army acknowledged reports of injuries caused by Israeli fire. 'The details of the incident are currently being investigated,' it said in a statement. The Israeli military expressed regret for any harm caused to individuals not involved in the incident and stated that it strives to minimize injury to civilians. At the same time, it emphasized the need to ensure the safety of Israeli troops. The claims from both the Israeli military and Palestinians could not be independently verified. Palestinian media carried a video showing bloodied victims in a clinic, but the authenticity of the footage has not been confirmed. A doctor working in Gaza City for the World Health Organization (WHO) cited reports of at least 50 victims, including more than 20 fatalities. According to the WHO, incidents also occurred on Sunday and Monday when dozens of patients with gunshot wounds arrived at hospitals. Many did not survive and those that did said they were attacked near distribution centres. The centres are operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is supported by Israel and the United States. It began its mission in the Gaza Strip last month following an almost three-month-long Israeli blockade of aid supplies. The distribution is intended as an alternative to the distribution of aid by the United Nations and international aid organizations. Both these groups have criticized the GHF. Israel and the US say the distribution by the GHF prevents Hamas from appropriating humanitarian aid supplies. On several occasions people have been reported killed near the distribution centres. Israel on previous occasions said they had fired at people who were not following prescribed routes. The GHF has previously said that the deaths have occurred outside their own security zone. According to the WHO, 17 of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip that still offer minimal services are on the verge of collapse. The main issue is a lack of fuel, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X. Israel is blocking fuel imports and, according to Tedros, is not allowing the WHO to access remaining reserves stored in areas of the Gaza Strip designated as evacuation zones by Israel. These zones cover 80% of the territory, according to the UN. Without fuel, operating theatres, dialysis machines, and incubators cannot function, medicines cannot be refrigerated, and water cannot be boiled. 'Ceasefire. NOW,' Tedros said.
