ISTANBUL

The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October has surged to 24,448, the Health Ministry in the blockaded enclave said on Wednesday.

The ministry in a statement said 61,504 others were also injured, adding that Israeli forces committed 16 massacres across the coastal territory in the last 24 hours, leaving 163 people killed and 350 others wounded.

“Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads and rescuers can’t reach them,” the ministry said.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Palestinian group Hamas, in which nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.

About 85% of Gazans have been displaced by the Israeli onslaught, while all of them are food insecure, according to the UN. Hundreds of thousands of people are living without shelter, and ⁠less than half of aid trucks are entering the territory than before the start of the conflict.

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday reiterated his call for a humanitarian cease-fire to ensure sufficient aid gets to where it is needed, and to facilitate the release of hostages.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar