Gaza death toll nears 44,900 after Israel kills 40 more Palestinians

By Ikram Kouachi

ANKARA (AA) – At least 40 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip over the last 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll since last year to 44,875, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Friday.

A ministry statement added that some 106,454 others have been injured so far in the ongoing assault, now in its second year.

“Israeli forces killed 40 people and injured 98 others in three massacres of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

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

Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions denouncing the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy the population.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.