Israeli intensifies Gaza bombardment as Trump visits region

14/5/2025 17:25

Israeli military strikes killed at least 50 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, local health authorities said, in a significant escalation of the bombardment as U.S. President Donald Trump continued his visit to the Middle East.



Medics said most of the dead, including women and children, resulted from a barrage of Israeli airstrikes that targeted several houses in the Jabalia area in northern Gaza.



The Israeli military had no immediate comment and said it was trying to verify the reports.



Israeli press reports on Wednesday cited security officials as saying they believed Hamas military leader Mohammad Sinwar and other senior officials had been killed in a strike on Tuesday on what the Israeli military described as a command and control bunker under the European Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis.



There was no confirmation either from the Israeli military or Hamas. On Wednesday, witnesses and medics said an Israeli airstrike hit a bulldozer that approached the area of the strike at the European Hospital, wounding several people.



Late on Tuesday, Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed militant group in Gaza allied with Hamas, fired rockets towards Israel. Shortly before the Israeli strikes began in response, the military issued evacuation orders to residents in the area of Jabalia and nearby Beit Lahiya.