Gaza death toll surges past 64,200 as Israeli attacks continue unabated

At least 64,231 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, as three more people died of starvation in the enclave, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

A ministry statement said that 84 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 338 people were injured, taking the total number of injuries to 161,583 in the Israeli onslaught.

The ministry said the toll surged after the names of 401 victims were added to the registry after their data were verified.

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

The ministry also noted that 17 Palestinians were killed and over 174 others injured by Israeli army fire while trying to get humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 2,356, with over 17,244 others wounded since May 27.

The ministry said that three more Palestinians died of malnutrition and starvation in the last 24 hours. This brought the famine-linked death toll since October 2023 to 370 people, including 131 children.

Since March 2, Israeli authorities have completely closed all Gaza border crossings, pushing the territory’s 2.4 million population into famine.

A UN-backed food security assessment has already confirmed famine in northern Gaza and expects it to spread further south by the end of September.