Gaza death toll surpasses 40,500

At least 58 Palestinians were killed in relentless Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip in last 24 hours, pushing up the overall death toll since last Oct. 7, to 40,534, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Wednesday.

A ministry statement added that some 93,778 others have been injured in the ongoing assault.

“Israeli forces killed 58 people and injured 131 others in four ‘massacres’ of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

“Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

Israel has continued its devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Over 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.