Israeli strikes kill 100 as Hamas urges lifting of blockade

Rescuers said Israeli strikes on Gaza killed 100 people Friday, as Hamas demanded the US press Israel to lift a sweeping aid blockade in return for a US-Israeli hostage released by the group.

In early March, shortly before the collapse of a two-month ceasefire in its war against Palestinians, Israel reimposed a total blockade on the Gaza Strip, where aid agencies have warned of critical shortages of everything from food and clean water to fuel and medicines.

US President Donald Trump acknowledged Friday that "a lot of people are starving" in the besieged Palestinian territory.

"We're looking at Gaza. And we're going to get that taken care of," Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi, on a regional tour that excluded key ally Israel.

Hamas on Monday freed Edan Alexander, the last living hostage with US nationality, after direct engagement with the Trump administration that left Israel sidelined.

As part of the understanding with Washington regarding Alexander's release, senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the group was "awaiting and expecting the US administration to exert further pressure" on Israel "to open the crossings and allow the immediate entry of humanitarian aid".

On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 100 people Friday.

Umm Mohammed al-Tatari, 57, told AFP that she was awoken by a pre-dawn attack.

"We were asleep when suddenly everything exploded around us," she said.

"Everyone started running. We saw the destruction with our own eyes. There was blood everywhere, body parts and corpses." Ahmed Nasr, 33, also from northern Gaza, said: "There is no safety. We could die at any moment." At the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, AFPTV footage showed mourners crying over the bodies of their loved ones.

"They were innocent people," said Mayar Salem. "Only their remains are left... They were my sisters and daughters."

The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said 2,985 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,119.

For weeks, UN agencies have warned of severe shortages in Gaza.

The 46-member Council of Europe said Friday the territory was suffering from "deliberate starvation".

And seven European countries, including five that have recognised a Palestinian state — Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia, Spain and Norway — issued a joint statement condemning what they called "the man-made humanitarian catastrophe that is taking place" and calling on Israel to halt military operations and lift the blockade.

In a statement of its own, Hamas said it "highly values the humanitarian and courageous stance" adopted by the seven countries.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-supported NGO, has said it will begin distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza this month after talks with Israeli officials.
But the UN on Thursday ruled out involvement with the initiative, citing concerns about "impartiality, neutrality (and) independence".