Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 34,097: Ministry

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 34,097, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said in a statement.

The Israeli army killed 48 Palestinians and wounded 79 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 34,097 and injuries to 76,980, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, 2023.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the Civil Defence Service in the Gaza Strip, told reporters on Sunday that rescuers had recovered more than 50 bodies from various places in the city of Khan Younis, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Israeli army withdrew from Khan Younis on April 7, four months after launching a ground operation.

Basal said the bodies had been buried collectively by the Israeli army, adding that search operations were underway as thousands of people were still missing in Gaza.

The spokesman accused the Israeli army of “enforcing disappearance of the people in the Gaza Strip in a systematic and deliberate manner”.

Israeli forces “destroyed dozens of bodies” before burying them and withdrawing, he said.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.