Palestinian death toll in Gaza from Israeli attacks rises to 25,490: ministry

GAZA -- The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 25,490 since Oct 7, 2023, the Hamas-run health ministry said on Tuesday.

The Israeli army killed 195 Palestinians and wounded 354 others over the past 24 hours, the ministry said in a press statement.

"A number of victims are still under the rubble, and ambulances and the civil defense crew cannot reach them," the ministry added.

On Monday, the Israeli army intensified its assault on the southern Khan Younis city, storming medical centers and killing dozens of Palestinians, making it the fiercest fighting in the area so far.

The Israeli army, meanwhile, suffered its deadliest single attack on Monday, in which 21 soldiers were killed in central Gaza.

The soldiers were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings when militants launched a rocket-propelled grenade at a nearby tank, triggering a premature explosion that resulted in the collapse of the buildings while the soldiers were either inside or nearby.

According to official Israeli figures, a total of 219 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the country waged a war against Hamas, following the Hamas-led assault on southern Israeli communities on Oct 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 200 were taken as hostages to Gaza.