As Palestinians marked the 77th anniversary of the Nakba — the mass displacement during the creation of Israel in 1948 — violence surged once again in Gaza. At least 115 Palestinians, many of them women and children, were killed in a wave of Israeli airstrikes across the besieged strip, with attacks intensifying even as ceasefire talks are underway, as reported by Al Jazeera News.
In southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, more than 60 people were killed in overnight raids, local health authorities reported. In northern Gaza’s Jabalia, an Israeli strike hit al-Tawbah medical clinic, killing 15 and injuring many others. Three hospitals — al-Awda, the Indonesian, and the European Hospital — were also struck, leaving the European facility completely out of service.
Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum described the scene from Deir el-Balah as “another bloody day” in Gaza. “Entire families were wiped out without warning,” he said, noting that warplanes targeted nine residential buildings overnight. With evacuation orders growing more frequent, families are constantly on the move, seeking safety in places that no longer exist. Civil defence workers, lacking basic equipment, scrambled to rescue survivors buried under rubble.
Hamas accused Israel of negotiating “under cover of fire,” as indirect talks involving the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt continue in Doha. While diplomacy stumbles forward, Israel’s military operations show no sign of slowing.
Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced again, with chaos erupting in Gaza City as people fled with what little they could carry. “There is no safe place anymore,” said a fleeing resident, his voice echoing the despair of countless others.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, visiting Qatar, proposed turning Gaza into a “freedom zone” under U.S. control — a suggestion that sparked sharp criticism and confusion. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani urged Trump to focus on securing a real ceasefire and helping to restore regional peace.
Meanwhile, tensions are rising in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right leader, called for military action in Palestinian villages there, stating, “Just as we are flattening Rafah and Gaza, we must flatten terror hubs.” His remarks followed the killing of an Israeli settler in the village of Bruqin.
Israeli forces launched raids across the West Bank early Thursday, storming cities and refugee camps including Nablus, Bethlehem, and Tubas. In Tamoun, soldiers killed five Palestinians and arrested another during a shootout.
As the death toll climbs and displacement spreads, Palestinians continue to mark the Nakba — not just as history, but as a painful, ongoing reality.
