Gaza death toll exceeds 34,900 as Israel continues its onslaught

At least 34,904 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said on Thursday.

A ministry statement added that 78,514 other people have been injured in the onslaught.

“At least 60 people were killed and 110 others injured in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours,” the statement said.

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

The Israeli army launched an offensive on Tuesday on the southern city of Rafah, where some 1.5 million displaced Palestinians have sheltered, as part of its deadly offensive on the territory following a Hamas attack that killed nearly 1,200 on Oct. 7, 2023.

Over seven 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 said it is “plausible” that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.