Gaza’s death toll surpasses 34,300 with no let-up with Israeli onslaught

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Gaza’s death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks has surged to 34,305 since last October, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said on Thursday.

A ministry statement said that 77,293 other people have also been injured in the Israeli onslaught.

“At least 43 people were killed and 64 others injured in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

“Many victims are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala