Death toll passes 15,500 as Israel pounds Gaza Strip harder
The Health Ministry in the besieged Gaza Strip announced on Sunday that the death toll from Israeli attacks on the Palestinian territory has surged to 15,523 since the start of the conflict on October 7.
Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qedra said in a news conference that “The toll of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip reached 15,523 martyrs” since the start of the war.
The number of wounded through the same period has reached a record 41,316 with women and children largely affected.
He explained further that a total 281 health workers have been killed, with hundreds injured.
Additionally, 56 ambulances and the same number of health facilities have been completely caught in the bombardments, while 20 hospitals are out of service, including 46 primary care centers.
The Palestinian official also disclosed that Israel currently holds 35 healthcare professionals from the Gaza Strip, including Mohammed Abu Selmiya, the general director of the Al-Shifa Medical Complex, “under harsh conditions and interrogation under torture, hunger, and thirst.”
He called on the United Nations and the World Health Organization to put pressure on Israel to immediately release the detained healthcare professionals.
The Israeli Defense Forces resumed bombing the Gaza Strip early Friday after declaring an end to a week-long humanitarian ceasefire.
