Gaza death toll surges to 35,173 as Israel escalates assault

The Palestinian death toll from Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip has surged to 35,173, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Tuesday.

“The Israeli occupation (forces) committed eight massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, leaving 82 martyrs and 234 injured during the past 24 hours,” it said as the Israeli deadly onslaught against Gaza enters its 221st day.

At least 79,061 other people have been injured in the onslaught, the ministry also said.

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

The Israeli army last week started its invasion of the eastern area of Rafah, storming and occupying the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, closing Gaza’s only gateway to the outside world.

Israel has waged an unrelenting offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7 which killed some 1,200 people.

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.