UPDATE – Palestinian death toll from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza nears 800

By Anadolu staff

UPDATES DEATH TOLL, EDITS THROUGHOUT

ANKARA (AA) – The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip has risen to 788, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

A ministry statement said that over 4,100 others were injured in the Israeli bombing.

A previous statement by the ministry put the death toll at 765 Palestinians, including at least 143 children and 105 women.

Israel continued its airstrikes on the Gaza Strip for the third day, following a multi-front Hamas attack on Israeli towns near the seaside territory.

Palestinian resistance group Hamas says the attack was in response to Israeli violations in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem and increased settler violence.

Israel retaliated with a series of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and imposed a total blockade on the strip, home to nearly 2.3 million people.

More than 1,800 people have been killed in the escalation, including more than 1,000 Israelis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to use all of Israel’s strength to destroy Hamas’ capabilities and “take revenge for this black day.”