Israeli Forces Besiege Gaza Hospital as Hamas Offers Hostage-Truce Deal
By Wyre Davies | Reporting from Jerusalem
Israeli forces have surrounded the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, as part of an intensified military campaign across the region. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, medical staff and patients are under heavy fire, and the siege is preventing the delivery of essential medical aid, supplies, and the arrival of new patients.
This escalation is part of Israel’s newly launched “Operation Gideon’s Chariot,” its deadliest offensive in Gaza in recent months. Since Thursday, at least 300 people have been killed in strikes targeting hospitals, refugee camps, and residential areas in both the northern and southern parts of the territory, Hamas-run authorities reported.
In parallel, Hamas has offered to release nine hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire, a Palestinian official told the BBC following renewed talks in Qatar.
The health ministry says three public hospitals in the North Gaza governorate are now completely out of service, further deepening the humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Airstrikes have continued to hit Beit Lahia, the Jabalia refugee camp, and Khan Younis, compounding the toll on civilians. The humanitarian situation has worsened drastically, with Israel blocking food and aid supplies into Gaza for the past 10 weeks, according to international relief agencies.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently vowed to intensify the military operation, aiming to seize and hold territory, force evacuations to southern Gaza, and eliminate Hamas. On May 5, Netanyahu said a major ground incursion was imminent but would wait until former U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his Middle East tour.
The war erupted following Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left around 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 250 taken hostage. Currently, 58 hostages remain in Gaza, with up to 23 believed to be alive.
To date, over 53,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s military campaign, according to Hamas-run sources.
