Israeli airstrikes claim over 6,500 lives, reports Palestinian health authority
The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip has risen to 6,547, according to the Gaza Health Authority controlled by Hamas.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which cited figures from the same Hamas-controlled agency, reported on Thursday morning that 68 per cent of the fatalities were children and women.
However, these figures cannot be independently verified.
In addition, around 1,600 people in Gaza are considered missing.
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Meanwhile, Israel’s army states that it is preparing for a ground offensive in Gaza after terrorists acting on behalf of Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, massacred civilians in Israel on October 7.
Over 1,400 people were killed in the cross-border attacks staged by armed Hamas militants.
According to the army, at least 222 other people were forcibly taken into the Gaza Strip, and only four hostages have been released so far.
Hamas demands that Israel allow fuel and medicine to be delivered to the Gaza Strip before releasing any more hostages.
dpa/NAN
