Palestinian death toll in Gaza exceeds 34,000: ministry-Xinhua

Palestinian death toll in Gaza exceeds 34,000: ministry

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2024-04-20 01:34:00

People are seen in a destroyed building in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 19, 2024. The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced Thursday that the death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks has exceeded 34,000. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced Thursday that the death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks has exceeded 34,000.

The ministry said in a statement that the Israeli army killed 42 Palestinians and wounded 63 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 34,012 and injuries to 76,833 since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

It noted that some victims remain under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of rescue crews.

The Israeli army said that its forces cleared and destroyed more than 100 infrastructures over the past week and eliminated more than 40 "terrorists" in face-to-face battles and through airstrikes.

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on social media platform X that among the infrastructures destroyed were several military targets, including a site used for manufacturing rocket shells belonging to Hamas, and a site used for producing long-range rocket shells linked to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.

A boy walks past a destroyed building in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 19, 2024. The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced Thursday that the death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks has exceeded 34,000. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A man sits on the rubble of a destroyed building in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 19, 2024. The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced Thursday that the death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks has exceeded 34,000. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

People walk past a destroyed building in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 19, 2024. The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced Thursday that the death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks has exceeded 34,000. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

People walk past a destroyed building in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 19, 2024. The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced Thursday that the death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks has exceeded 34,000. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

People walk past a destroyed building in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 19, 2024. The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced Thursday that the death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks has exceeded 34,000. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)