By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

As ground operations expand, fuel shortages and targeted strikes have paralyzed Gaza’s emergency response systems.

The Israeli army has launched a “broad ground operation” across both northern and southern Gaza, the military announced on Sunday, marking the official start of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots.”

In a statement, the army said both active-duty and reserve troops under the Southern Command were deployed

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee added that Israeli forces had intensified strikes over recent days to “disrupt enemy preparations” and support the ground offensive.

The escalation in Gaza coincides with US President Donald Trump’s tour of Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, Israeli attacks killed at least 132 Palestinians on Sunday alone — 61 of them in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip — bringing the three-day death toll to 500.

Entire families have been wiped out in Israeli airstrikes on residential homes. 

A large number of wounded and patients have just arrived at Kamal Adwan Hospital after being forced to flee the besieged Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza.

Israeli occupation forces and quadcopters surrounded the facility early this morning, prompting a mass evacuation amid… pic.twitter.com/p3RyBBVUIN

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 18, 2025

Al-Jazeera reported 15 Palestinians dead or missing following a strike on a house in the Saftawi neighborhood. Additional attacks on homes belonging to the Maqat and Nasr families in Jabalia killed at least 20 people, mostly women and children.

In Beit Lahia, an Israeli strike on the home of the Al-Barawi family killed seven people and injured others. Heavy bombing also targeted the Tel al-Zaatar area in Jabalia refugee camp, killing five and severely damaging Al-Awda Hospital.

The humanitarian crisis continues to deepen. Gaza’s Ministry of Health said that 20 more Palestinians were killed Sunday in the central Strip. Civil Defense teams, hampered by fuel shortages and constant attacks, report over 200 people still missing under the rubble and entire families erased from civil records.

Since October 7, 2023, the death toll from Israeli attacks has reached 53,339, with more than 121,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

A baby girl was rescued alive from beneath the rubble after an Israeli airstrike hit her family’s home in Jabaliua refugee camp, northern Gaza. pic.twitter.com/cuk4rjuYu4

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 18, 2025

Hospitals under Siege

The Ministry of Health announced that all public hospitals in northern Gaza are now out of service. Israeli strikes have destroyed Beit Hanoun and Kamal Adwan hospitals, while the Indonesian Hospital has been placed under siege and rendered non-operational.

Dr. Marwan Sultan, director of the Indonesian Hospital, told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces are firing at anyone moving near the facility. The ICU has been directly targeted, and medical teams are unable to provide any services due to the siege.

Hospitals across the north have appealed for urgent blood donations and international protection, warning that wounded civilians are dying due to the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system.

Meanwhile, Al-Awda Hospital Director Dr. Mohammed Salha reported that 10 Israeli strikes had hit areas around the hospital, causing major destruction. Despite this, he vowed not to evacuate the facility.

Dr. Sakhr Hamad of Kamal Adwan Hospital described the situation as catastrophic, with no plans or coordination in place to evacuate staff or patients.

Dr. Mohammad Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, confirmed that no medical services remain operational in the north. 

“We can’t accommodate the unprecedented number of wounded,” he said. “Critical cases remain trapped in the besieged Indonesian Hospital.”

LIVE BLOG: Over 100 Killed in Gaza since Dawn | Indonesian Hospital under Siege– Day 590

Civil Defense near Collapse

Gaza’s Civil Defense warned that 75% of its emergency vehicles are now out of service due to a lack of fuel. Without urgent fuel deliveries, all vehicles could stop operating within 72 hours, severely impacting rescue efforts and emergency response across the enclave.

The spokesperson stressed that the ongoing siege and deliberate targeting of hospitals and emergency services is exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis and called on international bodies to intervene immediately.

(PC, AJA, AA)