Dozens of Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza according to local health authorities, as the country pressed ahead with a new ground offensive after President Donald Trump left the region.
Israel’s offensive aimed at destroying Hamas and freeing the remaining hostages the militants captured in October 2023 killed at least 58 people overnight Friday and 300 people since Thursday, according to local authorities, cited by Reuters.
The humanitarian group Mercy Corps told Newsweek that a hunger crisis in Gaza is reaching catastrophic levels. Newsweek has contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump finished his visit to the Middle East without securing a ceasefire deal, adding to concerns about the fate of Gaza’s population, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said would be displaced south as his country pushed ahead with an expanded military operation.
What to Know
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Friday it had launched attacks and mobilized forces to seize areas in the Gaza Strip, as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots and the expansion of the campaign in Gaza aimed to defeating Hamas and releasing hostages.
After days of intense Israeli strikes, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said Saturday that over the previous 24 hours, more than 150 people have been killed and 459 others injured.
The situation for Palestinians in Gaza is beyond description, beyond atrocious & beyond inhumane.A policy of siege & starvation makes a mockery of international law. The blockade against humanitarian aid must end immediately.This is a moment for moral clarity & action. pic.twitter.com/ZsIzwo4tdp
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 17, 2025
Trump concluded his visit to the Middle East on Friday without securing a ceasefire deal and his skipping of Israel during the trip was reported as a sign of growing differences between the Israeli and U.S. governments. Trump said he wanted an end to the “brutal war” in Gaza where he acknowledged that “a lot of people are starving.”
An Israeli defense official had said this month the operation would not be launched before Trump concluded his regional visit, Reuters reported.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres wrote on X Saturday that the situation for Palestinians in Gaza is “beyond atrocious” and that “a policy of siege starvation makes a mockery of international law” and must end immediately.
Humanitarian access restrictions have put the entire population of Gaza at critical risk of famine, according to the UN’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
The report projects that 470,000 people will face famine-like conditions through the end of September. The Israeli government has rejected reports there is a food shortage in Gaza.
Kate Phillips-Barrasso, vice president of global policy and advocacy at the Mercy Corps NGO told Newsweek in a statement Gaza’s food system has collapsed, humanitarian operations are paralyzed and people are starving. “Families are in pure survival mode,” she added.
Mercy Corps provided Newsweek with written and audio testimonials of its aid workers in Gaza who have described harrowing conditions, in which there is no formal aid distributions. One said that “people are confused, anxious, and exhausted” and would accept anything just to survive.
“People are fainting in the streets. They look like skin and bones, pale and dizzy. If you saw them, you would break down and cry,” an aid worker named as Areej said.
Hamas Hostages
Israel’s military campaign to destroy Hamas followed the group’s cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Hamas still holds 58 hostages.
The Israeli offensive Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters said Friday that the offensive in Gaza had provoked “heavy hearts and great concern” among families of the remaining hostages.
In a media statement shared with Newsweek, the group called on Netanyahu to join Trump’s efforts that will lead first and foremost to the release of the hostages.
“We are in dramatic hours that will determine the future of our loved ones, the future of Israeli society, and the future of the Middle East,” the statement said.
What People Are Saying
Director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, Marwan Al-Sultan, per Reuters: “Since midnight, we have received 58 martyrs, while a large number of victims remain under the rubble. The situation inside the hospital is catastrophic.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on X: “The situation for Palestinians in Gaza is beyond description, beyond atrocious & beyond inhumane.”
Kate Phillips-Barrasso, vice president of Global Policy and Advocacy at Mercy Corps: “The people of Gaza are enduring one of the most harrowing humanitarian crises in recent history.”
Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters: “The hostages’ families woke up this morning with heavy hearts and great concern in light of reports about increased attacks in Gaza and the imminent conclusion of President Trump’s visit to the region.”
The Israel Defense Forces wrote on X on Friday: “We won’t stop operating until Hamas is no longer a threat and all our hostages are home.”
What Happens Next
Netanyahu said on May 5 that Israel was planning an expanded offensive against Hamas as his security cabinet approved plans which could see the entire Gaza Strip seized and aid controlled. Meanwhile, Guterres joins Arab leaders in a summit in Iraq on Saturday which is expected to discuss the situation in Gaza.
The post Israel Launches Major Gaza Offensive Hours After Trump Leaves Region appeared first on Newsweek.
