GAZA CITY: The health ministry in Gaza on Sunday reported that at least 22,835 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ongoing Israeli bombardments in the besieged Palestinian territory since October 7. The ministry reported that at least 113 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours alone, with at least 58,416 people wounded during the three-month Israeli military onslaught.
The latest Israeli airstrikes, conducted overnight and into Sunday, killed at least 64 people in the Gaza Strip, according to the health ministry. Among the casualties were two journalists, Mustafa Thuria, a video stringer for AFP, and Hamza Wael Dahdouh, the son of Al Jazeera’s bureau chief in Gaza. The Israeli bombardment also resulted in civilian casualties in the southern city of Khan Younis and the Rafah area near the Egyptian border.
Witnesses reported scenes of mourning at Khan Younis’ European Hospital, where relatives grieved over the loss of loved ones. The toll includes families facing multiple losses, exemplified by Mohamed Awad, who tearfully listed more than 20 family members, including children, who had been martyred.
Meanwhile, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor detailed disturbing accounts of mistreatment and alleged “torture” of Palestinians in Israeli custody. The report, based on testimonies from released detainees, outlined instances of physical abuse, stripping detainees naked, electric-shock torture, and other degrading treatment.
UNICEF Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza
Meanwhile, UNICEF has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to facilitate the provision of critical child survival interventions. The humanitarian agency stressed the need to protect children, especially after the delivery of 600,000 doses of vaccines. UNICEF’s appeal comes amidst an increasingly dire situation for children in Gaza, with the agency emphasizing the urgency of halting hostilities to prevent unnecessary deaths linked to communicable diseases.
Furthermore, allegations have emerged from Gaza’s media office, accusing the Israeli army of looting approximately $25 million in money and gold artifacts since October 7. The office cited testimonies from residents detailing theft at checkpoints and burglaries of evacuated homes. Israeli newspapers reportedly documented the crime, describing it as a “systematic theft of the money of the Gazans.”
