Reuters
Smoke from an explosion rises in Gaza, after a temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas expired, as seen from southern Israel, December 2.
A total of 15,207 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli attacks in the war-torn Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Saturday.
Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said during a press conference in Khan Younis that the number of injured people in the Palestinian enclave had surpassed 40,000, with 70 percent of them being children and women.
Al-Qidra also said that Israeli attacks had killed 280 medical personnel and targetted 56 ambulances in Gaza, accusing Israel of deliberately destroying the health care system in the Strip.
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, firing thousands of rockets and infiltrating Israeli territory, while Israel responded with airstrikes, ground operations and punitive measures that included a siege on the Gaza Strip.
More than 1,200 have been killed in Israel, mostly during Hamas's attack on October 7 that triggered the conflict.