Gaza death toll nears 39,600 with no let-up in Israeli onslaught

At least 31 more Palestinians were killed in relentless Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, pushing up the overall death toll to 39,583 since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the battered enclave said on Sunday.

A ministry statement added that some 91,398 other people have been injured in the assault.

“Israeli forces killed 33 people and injured 118 others in two ‘massacres’ against families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

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

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

Almost 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.