Gaza death toll surges to 34,943 as Israeli attacks continue

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - The Palestinian death toll from Israel’s ongoing attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 34,943, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Friday.

“The Israeli occupation (forces) committed six massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, leaving 39 martyrs and 58 injured over the past 24 hours,” it said, as the Israeli onslaught against Gaza is in its 217th day.

At least 78,572 other people have been injured in the onslaught, the ministry also said.

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

The Israeli army on Tuesday started its invasion of the eastern area of Rafah, storming and occupying the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, closing Gaza's only gateway to the outside world.

On Monday, the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for Palestinians in eastern Rafah, a move widely seen as a prelude to Israel's long-feared attack on the city, home to some 1.5 million displaced Palestinians.

Israel has waged an unrelenting offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7 which killed some 1,200 people.

Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.