Israeli Strikes Kill At Least 32 in Gaza as Palestinian War Death Toll Tops 58,000
Palestinian death toll surpasses 58,000 after 21 months of war; Israeli military targets over 150 sites
JERUSALEM — Israeli strikes killed at least 32 people in Gaza on Sunday as the Palestinian death toll surpassed 58,000 after 21 months of war, according to local health officials.
The Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza received ten bodies following an Israeli strike on a water collection point in nearby Nuseirat, with six children reported among the dead.
The Israeli Defence Forces stated that they were targeting a militant but a technical error resulted in their munitions falling 'dozens of meters from the target.'Separately, health officials reported an Israeli strike on a group of citizens walking in central Gaza City, killing 11 people and injuring around 30 others.
In Zawaida, nine individuals were killed, including two women and three children, after an Israeli strike on a home, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
Later, Al-Awda Hospital confirmed that a strike in Zawaida resulted in the deaths of two more people.The Israeli military claimed they targeted over 150 sites in the past 24 hours, including weapons storage facilities, missile launchers, and sniping posts.
They expressed their lack of awareness regarding the strike on the home but emphasized their efforts to combat Hamas' operations from populated areas.Israel maintains that civilian casualties are the fault of Hamas, which operates within populated areas.
Despite ongoing ceasefire talks aimed at securing a truce, freeing Israeli hostages, and providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, Israel and Hamas remain at an impasse.
A key issue in these negotiations is the presence of Israeli troops during any potential ceasefire.Israel insists on ending the war once Hamas surrenders, disarms, and goes into exile—a condition Hamas refuses to meet.
In contrast, Hamas offers to release the remaining 50 hostages, approximately 20 of whom are still alive, in exchange for an end to the conflict and Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza.The conflict began on October 7th, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians.
Additionally, Hamas took 251 individuals hostage.
To date, the Israeli military has reported over 890 soldier casualties since the war's commencement.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports that more than 58,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict, mostly women and children.