Gaza Well being Ministry reviews 51 deaths from Israeli strikes, bringing general toll to over 52,000

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Hospitals within the Gaza Strip obtained the stays of 51 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes prior to now 24 hours, the native Well being Ministry mentioned Sunday, bringing the Palestinian demise toll from the 18-month-old Israel-Hamas conflict to 52,243.

Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas by launching a shock bombardment on March 18, and has been finishing up each day waves of strikes since then. Floor forces have expanded a buffer zone and encircled the southern metropolis of Rafah, and now management round 50% of the territory.

Israel has additionally sealed off the territory’s 2 million Palestinians from all imports, together with meals and drugs, for practically 60 days. Help teams say provides will quickly run out and that hundreds of kids are malnourished.

The general demise toll consists of practically 700 our bodies for which the documentation course of was lately accomplished, the ministry mentioned in its newest replace. The each day toll consists of our bodies retrieved from the rubble after earlier strikes.

Israeli strikes killed one other 12 individuals after the ministry’s replace. Eight of them, together with three kids and two girls, had been killed in a strike on a tent within the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, in line with Nasser Hospital. A strike within the central metropolis of Deir al-Balah killed 4 individuals, in line with Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

Israeli authorities say the renewed offensive and tightened blockade are geared toward pressuring Hamas to launch hostages kidnapped in its Oct. 7, 2023, assault that triggered the conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to proceed the conflict till Hamas is destroyed or disarmed, and all of the hostages are returned.

Hamas has mentioned it can solely launch the remaining 59 hostages — 24 of whom are believed to be alive — in alternate for Palestinian prisoners, a long-lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as known as for within the now-defunct ceasefire reached in January.

Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, within the Oct. 7 assault and took 251 individuals hostage. Most have since been launched in ceasefire agreements or different offers.

Gaza’s Well being Ministry says girls and youngsters make up a lot of the Palestinian deaths, however doesn’t say what number of had been militants or civilians. It says one other 117,600 individuals have been wounded within the conflict.

The general tally consists of 2,151 useless and 5,598 wounded since Israel resumed the conflict final month.

Israel says it has killed round 20,000 militants, with out offering proof. The army says it tries to keep away from harming civilians and it blames Hamas for his or her deaths as a result of the militants function in densely populated areas.

Israel’s offensive has destroyed huge components of Gaza and displaced round 90% of its inhabitants, leaving tons of of hundreds of individuals sheltering in squalid tent camps or bombed-out buildings.