Gaza death toll nears 58,400 as Israel continues brutal assault on Palestinians
At least 58,386 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
A ministry statement said that 120 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 557 people were injured, taking the number of injuries to 139,077 in the Israeli onslaught.
“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.
The ministry said that the death toll rose after adding 240 more people to the registry after their data had been finalized.
The ministry noted that five Palestinians were killed and over 143 injured while trying to get humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 838, with over 5,575 others wounded since May 27.
The Israeli army resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip on March 18 and has since killed 7,568 people and injured 26,036 others, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his 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 war on the enclave.
Over 700 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire while collecting water in Gaza, authorities say
Gaza’s media office accuses Israeli army of using water as weapon of war.
More than 700 Palestinians, mostly children, have been killed by Israeli army fire while collecting water since October 2023, local authorities said on Monday.
“The Israeli occupation continues to wage a systematic and deliberate war of thirst against the Palestinian people in Gaza, in a flagrant violation of all international and humanitarian conventions,” Gaza’s government media office said in a statement.
The office accused Israeli forces of using water as a weapon of war “to deprive the Palestinians of their most basic rights.”
It noted that Israeli army forces had committed 112 massacres against Gazans collecting water, killing more than 700 people, mostly children, since October 2023.
On Sunday, at least 12 people were killed, including eight children, by Israeli fire while waiting to collect water in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
The media office said that over 720 water wells were deliberately destroyed by the Israeli army in Gaza.
“Attacks on water wells have deprived more than 1.25 million Palestinians of access to clean water," it added.
According to the statement, the Israeli army has obstructed the entry of 12 million liters of fuel monthly, the necessary amount to operate the minimum number of water wells, sewage stations, waste collection mechanisms, and other vital sectors in Gaza.
“This has caused a complete paralysis in water and sewage networks and the spread of epidemics, mainly among the children,” it added.
The media office called on the international community and human rights organizations to take immediate action to stop Israel’s systematic and deliberate use of water as a war weapon and allow the necessary amount of fuel and heavy equipment to reoperate water wells and drainage stations.
Israel has kept Gaza crossings closed to food, medical, and humanitarian aid since March 2, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis in the enclave, affecting Gaza’s 2.4 million residents. The blockade has pushed the region into famine conditions, with many reported deaths due to hunger.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 58,000 Palestinians so far, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his 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 war on the enclave.
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