At least 45,541 Palestinians have been killed and 108,338 injured in the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7 last year, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced today, quoted by Agence France-Presse and BTA.
At least 27 Palestinians have died in the last 24 hours, said a statement from the ministry, which is controlled by the Palestinian Islamist movement "Hamas".
Israel launched its military operation in the Gaza Strip after "Hamas" fighters carried out an unprecedented attack on the Jewish state on October 7 last year. The attack killed about 1,200 people and took an estimated 250 hostages in the coastal Palestinian territory.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called on Tuesday for an end to attacks on hospitals in Gaza after Israel struck one and stormed another in recent days, Reuters reported.
“Hospitals in Gaza have once again become battlefields and the health system is under serious threat“, the WHO Director-General said in a post on the social network “Ex“ and added: “We repeat: stop the attacks on hospitals. People in Gaza need access to health care. Humanitarian workers need access to provide health care. A ceasefire is needed!
The Israeli military said the targets of yesterday's strike were Hamas fighters at the Al-Wafa hospital in Gaza City, which the Palestinian Civil Defense said killed seven people.
Israeli forces also detained more than 240 Palestinians on Friday, including dozens of medical staff from the Kamal Adwan hospital, including its director Hussam Abu Safiya, health authorities in the enclave and the Israeli military said.
The Israeli army said the hospital was being used as a command center for Hamas military operations, and that those arrested were suspected militants. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Abu Safiya was taken in for questioning on suspicion of collaborating with “Hamas“.