Death toll passes 21,000 in Gaza Strip amid Israeli offensives
TOPSHOT - The shrouded bodies of people killed in Rafah during Israeli bombardment on the southern Gaza strip, are placed on a truck for burrial outside Al-Najar hospital on December 29, 2023, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by AFP)
The Palestinian death toll from the Israeli army’s ongoing onslaught on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has increased to 21,672, with 56,165 others injured.
The Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said on Saturday in a statement that “the Israeli occupation committed 14 massacres during the past 24 hours, which led to the death of 165 Palestinians and the injury of 250 others.”
The statement stressed that about 70% of the victims are innocent children and women.
Recall that the South African government instituted a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over its mass killings of civilians in the besieged enclave.
South Africa said Israel was breaching its commitments under the treaty, which was adopted in the aftermath of the Holocaust and makes it a crime to attempt to eliminate a people in whole or in part.
It requested that the court issue temporary, or short-term, measures ordering Israel to cease its military operation in Gaza, which it described as “necessary in this case to protect against further, severe, and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people.”
While responding to South Africa’s move, Israel’s foreign ministry said the suit was “baseless.”
Israel has been raiding the Gaza Strip in air and ground attacks following a cross-border attack by Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.
Authorities in Tel Aviv said the Hamas attacks have killed around 1,200 Israelis while over 200 others were taken hostage.
