Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 30,800: ministry

GAZA -- The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 30,800 since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct 7, 2023, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said in a press statement on Thursday.

Israeli army killed 83 Palestinians and wounded 142 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 30,800 and injuries to 72,298, the ministry added.

Palestinian medical sources said that the bodies of at least 45 Palestinians and dozens of injured people were transferred to the Al-Aqsa Hospital in the city of Deir Al-Balah during the past 24 hours.

The sources said most of the victims were children and women, noting that some of the casualties remain trapped under debris.

The sources reported that a large number of injured people died due to the lack of medical resources in the hospital.

The Israeli army announced in a statement on Wednesday that a soldier was killed and 13 others were injured, with six of them sustaining serious injuries, in the ongoing battles in the southern Gaza Strip.

The death toll of Israeli soldiers has risen to 587, with 3,053 others injured since Oct 7, 2023, according to data released by the Israeli army on Wednesday.

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.