Israel's airstrikes shake illegal Israeli settlers' homes near Gaza, explosions heard 26 miles away
Israeli media reported on Friday that unusually intense airstrikes by Israel on Gaza were so powerful that explosions were heard as far away as Beersheba, a city 42 kilometers (26 miles) from the strip, shaking homes in nearby illegal Israeli settlements.
Channel 12 described the wave of bombings as “extraordinary,” citing residents near the border who said their homes were rattled by the intensity of the attacks.
According to unnamed Israeli security sources quoted by Israeli media, the scale of these strikes signals Israel's intent to escalate its war in Gaza.
Israeli aircraft and artillery launched a series of heavy overnight raids across the Gaza Strip, particularly in the north.
Eyewitnesses and medical sources called them among the deadliest since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023.
Preliminary figures indicate over 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded, most of them women and children, according to Gaza Civil Defense.
Israeli Channel 13 echoed similar assessments, stating Israel has begun “intensified and unprecedented” bombardments from the north to the south of the enclave, with preparations underway for a wider ground invasion.
The escalation comes amid stalled negotiations in Qatar over a potential hostage exchange deal with the Palestinian group Hamas.
The daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday that the intensified bombing campaign is a prelude to a possible large-scale ground offensive if ceasefire talks fail to produce a breakthrough.
The ongoing escalation coincides with US President Donald Trump's Middle East tour, which began Tuesday in Saudi Arabia and is set to conclude Friday in Qatar and the UAE.
During just the first three days of Trump's visit, the Israeli army killed around 260 Palestinians, more than triple the number killed in the preceding three-day period, according to Health Ministry data in Gaza.
The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 53,000 Palestinians so far, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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