Israel has unleashed its heaviest bombardment of Gaza in weeks, striking dozens of targets across the densely populated enclave as former President Donald Trump prepares for a high-stakes meeting with Arab and Muslim leaders. According to Reuters, overnight air raids shook Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah, with missiles tearing through residential blocks, mosques, and what Israel described as Hamas command centers. The escalation comes just hours before Trump’s diplomatic summit, raising fears that the conflict could overshadow his attempt to position himself as a global peacemaker.
“We will not stop until Hamas has no safe place left,” an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said in a statement, quoted by CNN. The IDF confirmed that ground troops are massing near the border, and tanks have already made limited incursions into northern Gaza. Residents reported hearing nonstop artillery fire through the night, with ambulances rushing casualties to overwhelmed hospitals. “The whole sky was red, and the ground shook like an earthquake,” one survivor told The Guardian. “We no longer sleep — we just pray to live until morning.”
BREAKING: Israel carries out massive wave of airstrikes across Gaza. Dozens of casualties reported. — @APMiddleEast
The humanitarian situation is deteriorating at breakneck speed. Gaza’s health ministry reported that more than 1,200 people were injured in the latest bombardment, many of them children. Hospitals already running on backup generators say they are treating patients in hallways and courtyards. The New York Times described scenes of chaos at Al-Shifa hospital, where mothers wept over lifeless bodies wrapped in bloodstained sheets. Aid agencies warned that water and food supplies are dwindling rapidly, with some shelters housing more than triple their capacity.
As the bombs fell in Gaza, Trump was in New York preparing for a highly anticipated meeting with leaders from across the Arab and Muslim world. According to Politico, the gathering will include representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as envoys from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The former president is expected to frame the talks as an effort to “restore stability” in the Middle East, though critics say his outspoken support for Israel could undermine his credibility among Muslim leaders.
Trump to meet Arab and Muslim leaders as Gaza crisis escalates. Critics say timing is explosive. — @nytimesworld
Analysts say the juxtaposition of Israeli firepower and Trump’s diplomatic theater underscores the complexity of the crisis. “The timing is extraordinary,” one Middle East scholar told The Washington Post. “Trump is trying to cast himself as a statesman, but his words will be judged in real time against images of devastation in Gaza.” Already, Arab social media accounts are sharing videos of bombed-out neighborhoods alongside clips of Trump shaking hands with Israeli officials, accusing him of siding with aggression over peace.
Inside Gaza, the atmosphere is one of sheer panic. Survivors told The Los Angeles Times that families are scrawling the names of their children on their arms in case they are killed. “We are not numbers,” one father said. “We are people. And every bomb takes another story, another life.” Humanitarian organizations have called for an immediate ceasefire to allow aid convoys into the enclave, but both Israel and Hamas have rejected calls for de-escalation.
“The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is catastrophic. Civilians cannot bear another night like this,” says UN official. — @guardian
The Arab League has already condemned Israel’s strikes as “indiscriminate attacks on civilians,” while Turkey and Qatar have threatened to cut diplomatic ties unless the offensive halts. Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. partner, issued a statement saying it “cannot ignore the mass suffering of the Palestinian people.” According to Al Jazeera, several countries may use Trump’s summit to pressure him into calling for a ceasefire — though whether he will comply remains uncertain.
Trump, for his part, has remained defiant. In remarks previewing the summit, he described Israel as “a nation under siege” and vowed to “stand with them 100 percent.” At the same time, he said he would “listen carefully” to Arab and Muslim leaders, promising that “no one will be ignored.” Critics, however, argue that his history of inflammatory remarks about Islam, as well as his previous attempts to ban Muslim immigrants, will make it difficult for him to gain trust. “The damage is already done,” one diplomat told BBC News. “No speech can erase years of insults.”
Trump says he will “listen carefully” to Arab leaders, but pledges “100% support for Israel.” — @AP
Back in Gaza, the people living through the bombardment say they are losing hope that diplomacy will change their fate. Aid workers told The Independent that children are developing trauma symptoms at staggering rates, with many unable to sleep or speak after surviving attacks. Families described carrying white flags while fleeing through rubble-strewn streets, only to be turned back by gunfire. “It feels like the world is watching us die,” one young mother said through tears.
As Trump’s meeting looms, the contrast between the halls of diplomacy and the streets of Gaza could not be starker. Whether the summit produces meaningful change or becomes another stage for political posturing, the reality on the ground remains unchanged: a population under siege, a conflict spiraling further out of control, and the haunting question of how much longer civilians can endure the relentless pounding from above.