Israel escalates Gaza attacks as Netanyahu stalls ceasefire for polls
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- Israel has killed at least 880 Palestinians since the May ceasefire, raising Gaza’s war death toll to 72,797 per the Gaza Health Ministry.
- Gaza Rights Center documented 12 May incidents where Israeli forces gave phone warnings before demolishing homes in Nuseirat, Bureij and Maghazi, and razed land east of Deir el‑Balah.
- Mai El‑Sheikh, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson, said Israel is using the ceasefire as a cover for war crimes, deliberately restricting food and medicine to create a humanitarian disaster.
- Analysts warn Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is stalling a genuine ceasefire to satisfy right‑wing coalition allies and voters ahead of the September national election.
- Israel is carrying out a demolition campaign that targets dilapidated structures in the 35% of Gaza not directly controlled, effectively rendering the enclave uninhabitable.
Why it matters: Palestinians lose homes and lives as Israel intensifies demolition and blocks aid, while Netanyahu seeks political advantage ahead of September elections, bolstering his right‑wing coalition.
