Gaza death toll from Israeli airstrikes tops 3,000: Health Ministry

By Anadolu staff

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - At least 3,061 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry in Gaza said Tuesday.

Some 13,750 other people have been injured in the Israeli bombardment, a ministry statement said.

Eleven days into the conflict with Palestinian group Hamas, Israel's bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip has continued, with over one million people displaced – almost half of Gaza's total population, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The fighting began when Hamas on Oct. 7 initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased violence by Israeli settlers.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed in the armed conflict.