Israel begins Gaza ground operation, kills 140 in relentless bombardment

Tel Aviv [Israel] / Gaza [Palestine], May 19: The Israeli military has announced the start of extensive new ground operations throughout northern and southern Gaza, on a day it killed at least 140 people in waves of relentless strikes across the Palestinian enclave.
At least 36 people were killed and more than 100 wounded when Israeli warplanes bombed a tent camp sheltering displaced Palestinians in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
At least 135 people were killed on Sunday morning, including 42 in the heavily bombed northern parts of Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera Arabic. Five journalists were also among the victims when their homes were bombed. At least 464 Palestinians have been killed in the past week as the Israeli military prepared to significantly intensify its ground invasion of the Palestinian territory despite international criticism. At least 53,339 Palestinians have been killed and 121,034 wounded since the start of the war in October 2023, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health.
The Israeli army on Sunday confirmed the start of Operation Gideon's Chariots, which will involve regular and reserve soldiers of the Southern Command leading the ground invasion of both northern and southern Gaza, backed by the air force.
It reported attacking more than 670 places in Gaza over the past week and claimed all were "Hamas targets" located both above and beneath the ground. Israel has been accused of disproportionately targeting civilians in Gaza, including displaced families.
Among the targets have been three major hospitals, adding to the systematic targeting of healthcare facilities across the enclave that has now put three hospitals out of commission this week alone.
The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza was rendered nonoperational on Sunday after the Israeli army laid siege to it beginning at dawn. Marwan al-Sultan, the director of the facility, which was the last functioning public hospital in the north, described the situation as "catastrophic" and called on international organisations to press for medical teams' safety.
Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, told Al Jazeera that the bombing of the Indonesian Hospital is severely impacting chances of survival for those in need of medical care.
Thousands of sick and wounded people could die, he warned, adding that blood donations are urgently needed.
Dr Muhammad Zaqout, the director general of hospitals in Gaza, condemned "Israel's systematic measures against hospitals". "Israel deliberately kills wounded people by preventing them from reaching hospitals and directly targets patients, the wounded and medical staff inside hospitals," he told Al Jazeera.
He said al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza's Jabalia and European Gaza Hospital in southern Gaza have also been bombed, endangering patients and medical staff.
Hamas said in a statement early on Sunday that the attacks on displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis marked a "brutal crime" that was a flagrant violation of international laws and norms.
"By granting the terrorist occupation government political and military cover, the United States administration bears direct responsibility for this insane escalation in the targeting of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, including children, women, and the elderly," the Palestinian group said, also condemning the "ongoing persecution and killing" of media workers.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel's expanding operation in Gaza. "I am alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more," he said on X on Saturday. On Saturday, both Israel and Hamas confirmed that more mediated talks were under way in Qatar.
Source: Qatar Tribune