Gaza’s Health Ministry said Wednesday that at least 38 Palestinians were killed and 124 were injured by Israeli strikes over the previous 24-hour period as the Israeli military continues attacks across the Gaza Strip.
The Health Ministry’s figures are based on the number of dead and wounded Palestinians who arrive at hospitals. “There are still a number of victims under the rubble and on the streets, and ambulance and civil defense
crews cannot reach them,” the ministry said.
The ministry also said that since Israel restarted its genocidal war last Tuesday, at least 830 Palestinians, including 322 children, have been killed. Another 1,787 Palestinians, including 609 children, were injured during that time.
The massive child casualties reported by the Health Ministry align with reports from doctors working in Gaza’s hospitals. “Last night in Gaza, we operated on a 15 year old girl who was riding her bike when she was shredded by an Apache helicopter. She will be lucky if she keeps 2 of her limbs after 12 hours of collective surgery,” Dr. Mark Perlmutter, an American hand surgeon volunteering in Gaza, wrote on X on Tuesday.
Israeli attacks on Wednesday included the bombing of a house in Jabalia, northern Gaza, which killed eight Palestinians, including a six-month-old baby. Another child was killed by an Israeli attack on the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to Al Jazeera.
The renewed Israeli assault on Gaza has also caused more mass displacement as the Israeli military is ordering areas to be evacuated under the threat of military action. The UN said Wednesday that more than 140,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in Gaza since March 18.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a new threat to the “residents of Gaza” on Wednesday, telling them they would soon lose more “territory.”
“The IDF will soon operate with full force in additional areas of Gaza, and you will be asked to evacuate from combat zones for your own safety,” Katz said in a video statement. “The plans are already prepared and approved. Hamas is putting your lives at risk, causing you to lose your homes and more and more territory that will be integrated into Israel’s defense formation.”
Katz previously threatened that the Israeli military would soon begin annexing and taking permanent control of territory in Gaza. On Wednesday, he said Palestinians in Gaza should rise up against Hamas, pointing to rare anti-Hamas demonstrations taking place in northern Gaza, although the protesters were also calling for an end to Israel’s genocidal assault.
“Learn from the residents of Beit Lahia. Just as they did, demand the removal of Hamas from Gaza and the immediate release of all Israeli hostages—this is the only way to stop the war,” Katz said.
