The toll of Palestinians killed as a result of the military offensive launched by Israel against the Gaza Strip following the attacks carried out on October 7 by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has increased to more than 10,500, including nearly 4,325 children, according to The Gazan authorities, controlled by the Islamist group, denounced this Wednesday.
The spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health, Ashraf al Qidra, specified that to date 10,569 people have been confirmed dead, including 4,324 children, while 26,475 people have been injured. Thus, he has highlighted that the authorities have reports of 2,550 missing people in the rubble of the bombed buildings, including 1,350 minors, so it is feared that the death toll could increase drastically.
“The Israeli occupation continues to commit crimes of genocide against our people and the international community is unable to stop this brutal aggression,” said Al Qidra, who highlighted that during the last 24 hours 241 Palestinians have died, 49 percent of them in the southern part of the Strip, where Israel is asking the population to move.
Almost 200 health workers dead, according to Gaza Health
In this sense, he has specified that so far 193 health workers have died in attacks that have reached 120 medical institutions and have left 18 hospitals and 40 health centers out of service after being hit by bombings or due to lack of fuel.
“Hospitals are currently operating thanks to secondary generators for activities in intensive care units, operating rooms and emergency departments, while the rest of the facilities are without electricity,” he explained, before adding that emergency services dialysis are active “part of the time” to “try to save the lives of patients with kidney problems.”
Al Qidra has accused the Israeli Army of “deliberately cutting off water and electricity”, as well as “starving thousands of sick, wounded, displaced and medical personnel in hospitals”, while reiterating that the Israeli authorities They “increase their threats” against hospitals, including the request for the evacuation of the Al Rantisi pediatric hospital.
“We call on the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to be present inside hospitals to stop Israeli threats, protect the health system and allow their staff to carry out their purely humanitarian work,” Al said. Qidra, which has also demanded “humanitarian corridors for the entry of medical supplies, fuel and medical personnel, in addition to the exit of thousands of wounded.”
Israel confirms the death of the sergeant of an elite unit
For its part, the Israeli Army has confirmed in the last few hours the death of Sergeant Jonathan Chazor, a member of the elite Shaldag unit, part of the Air Force, in the context of the fighting in the north of the Strip with members of the armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzeldin al Qassam Brigades.
Israel launched its offensive after the October 7 attacks, which left nearly 1,400 dead and more than 240 kidnapped, according to Israeli authorities. To the total number of deaths we must add more than 160 Palestinians killed since that date at the hands of Israeli forces or in attacks perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
