ANKARA

The number of Palestinians killed by a massive Israeli air assault on the Gaza Strip has risen to 2,329, the Gaza Health Ministry said Sunday.

In a statement, the ministry said that the number of wounded has also risen to 9,042.

In a dramatic escalation of Middle East tensions, just over a week ago Israeli forces launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began last weekend when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has endured a crippling siege since 2007, as well as ordering over 1 million Gazans in the northern strip to evacuate to the south.

Meanwhile, the Israeli general death toll have so far stood at 1,300 while the number of confirmed injured Israelis exceeds 3,400.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi