North Gaza has once again been plunged into horror. Nearly 100 people, including children, lost their lives early Friday in a massive Israeli offensive involving ground troops, airstrikes, and naval bombardments. Rescue teams and local residents say entire families were caught in the sudden onslaught, with homes and makeshift shelters reduced to rubble.
According to Gaza’s civil defense, at least nine homes and several tents where civilians were sleeping were destroyed. Trapped survivors frantically called for help as bombs rained down throughout the night.
Beit Lahia was hit especially hard. Witnesses described scenes of chaos, with smoke bombs, artillery, and tanks overwhelming the area. The Israeli military said the strikes were aimed at Hamas strongholds and claimed it had neutralized several militants. Still, for many civilians, the attack came without warning—and without mercy.
Basheer al-Ghandour, who fled to Jabalia with his family, recalled the terror of the night: “We were sleeping, then everything exploded. The bombing came from the sky and the sea. My brother’s house collapsed. Twenty-five people were inside.”
Eleven of his relatives were injured, and five were killed, including two young nieces and a teenage nephew. He tried to dig through the rubble to find survivors but had to flee. “My brother’s wife is still buried under the rubble. We had to run barefoot. We left with nothing—no food, no clothes, no hope.”
Yousif Salem, another survivor, barely escaped with his children. “An airstrike hit our neighbor’s house—none of them made it,” he said. As they tried to flee, a drone opened fire. Artillery shells landed nearby. “We only just made it out before the tanks rolled in.”
Local residents said the assault began with smoke bombs, then artillery shelling, before tanks moved into the Al-Salateen neighborhood. Israeli forces reportedly surrounded a school sheltering hundreds of displaced families.
Early Friday, Israeli planes dropped leaflets urging people to evacuate parts of northern Gaza. But for many, there’s nowhere left to go. Sana Marouf, who was fleeing on a donkey cart with her family, was in tears. “We don’t have blankets, we don’t have food, not even water. I don’t even know where we’re going. It was a night of terror. I saw people torn apart.”
The Friday attack followed deadly airstrikes on Thursday that killed more than 120 people, mostly in southern Gaza. The Israeli military said over 150 targets were hit across the Strip, including alleged missile sites and Hamas infrastructure.
Yet despite the scale of the attack, Israel has not yet launched the full-scale invasion it has threatened. The government has warned it will step up its campaign and even reoccupy Gaza if Hamas does not agree to release remaining hostages.
So far, negotiations—mediated in Qatar—have stalled. The ceasefire agreed in January collapsed after Israel resumed bombings in March. Since then, aid into Gaza has been blocked almost entirely, with food supplies cut off. Israel’s defense minister admitted the blockade was being used as a “pressure tactic” to defeat Hamas and secure the release of hostages.
But the toll on civilians is devastating. Aid groups and the UN warn that Gaza’s population—over 2 million people—is on the brink of famine. Starvation is spreading. “There’s no food,” one mother told reporters, holding her newborn. “I gave birth hungry.”
While Israel denies there’s a food shortage, blaming Hamas for stealing aid, images from Gaza tell a different story. Desperate families crowd around aid trucks. Children cry. Empty pots clatter. The struggle for survival is now daily.
The United States has voiced concern. President Trump, wrapping up a trip to the region, said the U.S. “needs to help Palestinians” and acknowledged “a lot of people are starving.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the situation troubling.
Since Hamas launched its attack on October 7, 2023—killing about 1,200 Israelis and taking 251 hostages—Israel has waged a relentless campaign. Over 53,000 people have died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Fifty-eight hostages remain in captivity.
The suffering continues, with no end in sight. As families flee bombed homes and bury loved ones, one truth remains clear: the people of Gaza are running out of places to hide—and the world is running out of time to act.