Gaza death toll nears 39,700 as Israel kills 22 more Palestinians

The Israeli army killed 22 more Palestinians in attacks in the Gaza Strip, taking the overall death toll to 39,699 since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Thursday.

A ministry statement added that some 91,722 others have been injured in the assault.

“Israeli forces killed 22 people and injured 77 others in four ‘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, 2023 attack by Palestinian group Hamas.

Over ten 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 Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.