Palestinian death toll in Gaza nears 34,000: Ministry

Gaza, Apr 18 (IANS): The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 33,970, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said in a press statement on Thursday.

During the past 24 hours, the Israeli army killed 71 Palestinians and wounded 106 others in the coastal enclave, bringing the total death toll to 33,970 and injuries to 76,770 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, according to the statement.

The statement noted that some victims remained under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of civil defence and ambulance crews, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a separate statement, Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qedra said that the Israeli army had "destroyed" the health system in the northern Gaza Strip, leaving some 700,000 people without health services.

He called for the provision of field hospitals and international multi-specialised medical teams to meet the needs of the local population.