Middle East crisis live: Trump says US should turn Gaza into ‘freedom zone’ as more than 90 killed in Israeli strikes

<p>US president’s reported comments in Qatar come as dozens killed in a second consecutive night of heavy bombing</p><p><strong>Gaza’s civil defence agency</strong> has said that the death toll from <strong>Israeli</strong> strikes overnight into Thursday is up to 82 people, updating a previous toll.</p><p>“The number of martyrs from Israeli airstrikes on Gaza has risen to 82 after the occupation targeted several homes in northern Gaza,” civil defence spokesperson <strong>Mohammad al-Mughayir</strong> told AFP, after the agency earlier reported at least 50 dead (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/may/15/israel-gaza-donald-trump-gulf-qatar-uae-iran-middle-east-crisis-live?page=with%3Ablock-68258b698f08624a7dfe5103#block-68258b698f08624a7dfe5103">see 8.27am BST</a>).</p><p>We’re getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this … there [are] two steps to doing this, there is a very, very nice step and there is the violent step, but I don’t want to do it the second way.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/may/15/israel-gaza-donald-trump-gulf-qatar-uae-iran-middle-east-crisis-live">Continue reading...</a>