Israeli army kills 79 more Palestinians in Gaza, bringing death toll to 34,262

At least 79 more Palestinians were killed and 86 others injured over the last 24 hours as Israel continues its onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip, the territory’s Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them, the ministry said.

Israel has killed 34,262 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded 77,229 others since the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border incursion by Hamas that claimed 1,200 lives.

The war has pushed 85% of the territory’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food and other essentials, while much of the enclave’s infrastructure has either been damaged or destroyed.

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

According to Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, famine in northern Gaza can be averted only through “meaningful & uninterrupted supply” of aid supplies.