On Thursday, May 15, 2025, Israeli airstrikes once again pounded the Gaza Strip, leaving at least 82 people dead, according to an updated report from the Palestinian Civil Defense.
Spokesman Mohamed Al Mougavhir stated that the bombings targeted several residential buildings in the northern part of the enclave. Since March 18, the Israeli military has resumed its operations in Gaza, seizing large areas of the territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced a new phase of the offensive, vowing a full-scale ground incursion aimed at completing the operation and defeating Hamas.
On the diplomatic front, U.S. President Donald Trump, currently visiting the Middle East, declared his intention to turn Gaza into a “zone of freedom.” Before departing Qatar for the United Arab Emirates, he stated that the United States was ready to take a more active role in shaping the future of the war-torn enclave, which has suffered 19 months of conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The war was triggered by a Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, in which 1,218 people—mostly civilians—were killed. The Israeli response has resulted in heavy casualties. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, at least 52,928 people have been killed since the start of the conflict.