Israel has significantly increased its military bombardment in Gaza, with residents reporting fierce and heavy shelling. This intensified campaign comes just days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Washington.
Despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire—including from US President Donald Trump, who is set to meet Netanyahu next week—the Israeli military has continued its invasions and airstrikes, which it claims are aimed at dismantling Hamas’s military infrastructure.
Gaza’s civil defence agency reported on Tuesday that 17 people had been killed in strikes across the territory. The Israeli army confirmed it had recently expanded its airstrikes to new areas within Gaza, claiming to have killed dozens of militants and destroyed hundreds of military sites both above and below ground.
In Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighbourhood, Raafat Halles said the past week had seen a sharp increase in shelling and airstrikes. “Whenever there’s talk of a possible ceasefire, the military escalation worsens,” he said.
Another resident, Amer Daloul, described intense gunfire that forced him and his family to flee their tent at dawn. In Rafah, further south, resident Mohammed Abdel Aal said tanks were now present in most parts of the city.
The civil defence agency reported more deaths on Tuesday near aid distribution points, where desperate civilians have been gathering for food. Eight people were killed near sites in central and southern Gaza, including one fatality and at least 50 injuries when tanks and drones opened fire near the Wadi Gaza Bridge.
The Israeli army claimed it had fired warning shots to disperse people approaching its forces, adding that it was unaware of casualties but would investigate. Humanitarian access in Gaza remains severely limited by Israel, making independent verification of casualty figures difficult.
A coalition of 169 aid organisations has condemned the current aid distribution mechanism backed by the US and Israel. They said it exposes civilians to extreme danger as they traverse active conflict zones in search of food, calling instead for a return to the United Nations-led distribution system that operated until Israel’s blockade in March.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military confirmed it was reviewing an airstrike on a coastal café in Gaza City, which it said targeted militants. According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, the strike killed 24 people. Locals described the café as a peaceful haven for artists, professionals, and students.
Netanyahu is expected to meet President Trump and senior US officials next week in Washington, with the bombardment in Gaza and efforts to free hostages high on the agenda. He has described Israel’s recent “victory” in the short war with Iran as a strategic opportunity and suggested it could pave the way for progress in Gaza.
“Capitalising on victory is just as important as achieving it,” Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
A Hamas official told AFP that the group was open to any proposal that would lead to a full ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. However, he noted that no breakthrough had yet been achieved.
