Palestinian death toll in Gaza reaches 40,099: Health authorities

Gaza: The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip hit 40,099, Gaza-based health authorities said on Sunday.

During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 25 people and wounded 72 others, bringing the total death toll to 40,099 and injuries to 92,609 since the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in October 2023, the health authorities said in a press statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Many victims remain buried under the rubble and on the roads, beyond the reach of medical staff and civil defence crews, it added.

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 about 250 were taken hostage.

Meanwhile, the UN agency that provides relief to Palestinians has said that women and girls in the besieged coastal enclave face additional hardships as the Israeli war rages on.

“Having to live in overcrowded shelters and displacement sites does not only put their safety and physical health at risk, but it is also stripping them of their dignity,” said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).