At least 60 people were killed in the Gaza Strip on May 15 as Israeli airstrikes continued across the region. According to Palestinian medics, many of the victims were women and children. The attacks focused on the southern city of Khan Younis, where houses and tents were destroyed. The strikes took place while efforts for a ceasefire were ongoing, led by Arab nations and US officials.
One of the people killed was a journalist who worked for a local radio station. He died along with 11 family members when their home was hit by an airstrike. The Israeli military has not yet given a public statement on the incident. However, they have previously said that their goal is to eliminate Hamas after the attacks carried out on Israel in 2023.
The recent attacks happened on the same day Palestinians observe Nakba Day. This day marks the events of 1948 when many Palestinians were forced to flee during the conflict that followed the creation of the state of Israel. Now, many people in Gaza are saying the current situation is even worse than that time. The region is heavily damaged, and most of the 2.3 million residents have been displaced multiple times due to the ongoing war.
The conflict grew more intense after the October 7, 2023 attack when Hamas-led fighters entered southern Israel. That attack killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages back to Gaza, based on Israeli numbers. Since then, Israel has launched thousands of airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza. The goal, according to Israeli officials, is to defeat Hamas completely and remove its control over the region.
Efforts to reach a ceasefire have been slow. Former US President Donald Trump arrived in the Middle East on May 13 to meet with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Some Palestinians had hoped his visit would bring progress toward a ceasefire. Talks have been held in Doha with help from Qatari and Egyptian officials, but little has changed.
Hamas has said it is willing to release the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to stop the war. On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants only temporary pauses, not a full end to the fighting. He believes the war must continue until Hamas is fully destroyed.
The result of this continued conflict has been massive human loss. According to health officials in Gaza, over 52,900 Palestinians have died since the war began. Many more have been wounded. Airstrikes have hit homes, schools, hospitals, and refugee camps. Basic services such as electricity, water, and medical care are nearly gone.
The humanitarian situation is growing worse every day. Since March 2, no aid has been delivered to Gaza. Many international organizations, including the United Nations, have warned that a large part of the population faces hunger and even starvation. A recent report from a global hunger monitoring group stated that around 500,000 people in Gaza are at risk of dying from lack of food. That is about one-quarter of the entire population.
The United States has announced support for a new aid group that will start working in Gaza by the end of May. However, until that plan is fully active, many people in Gaza may not survive without urgent help. Aid groups are asking Israel to let other organizations, including the UN, bring supplies into Gaza now.
Global leaders are also expressing concern. The European Union, the United Nations, and several governments have called for a permanent ceasefire. They have asked Israel to stop targeting civilians and allow aid deliveries. Human rights groups say that blocking humanitarian assistance and bombing homes may be against international law.
On the other side, Israel continues to defend its actions. It claims Hamas is using civilians as human shields and hiding weapons in residential areas. Israel’s military says it is doing what it can to avoid civilian deaths, but that Hamas is to blame for putting people in danger.
So far, there is no sign that the fighting will stop soon. Each day, more people in Gaza are killed or injured. Families are forced to move again and again, searching for a safe place. But with few shelters left and no aid coming in, the situation is becoming impossible for many to survive.
The conflict remains one of the most severe in recent history. It has destroyed cities, taken tens of thousands of lives, and left millions in need of urgent help. While talks continue behind closed doors, people on the ground are still suffering. The world is watching and waiting for a breakthrough that could bring an end to the violence.
