Gaza death toll tops 18600 as Israeli attacks continue

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says the death toll from Israel’s air and artillery strikes in the besieged territory has risen to 18,608. The ministry announced the figure on Wednesday, which is the 68th day of the regime’s war on Gaza. It said that the number of the injured people has reached 50, 594. Since the onset of the war, the Israeli regime has been targeting residential buildings and hospitals across the besieged territory, where according to the Health Ministry, has forced 22 hospitals and 52 medical centers to stop functioning. The relentless attacks by the regime have also caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Seventeen journalists have been killed while on duty in the war between Israel and Hamas, according to an annual report compiled by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) group. The RSF said that 13 of those journalists killed since the October 7 attacks were in the Gaza Strip. “Sixty-three journalists lost their lives in total (including 56 in Gaza) if we include journalists killed in circumstances unproven to be related to their duties,” the group said. The Israeli military says a 38-year-old reservist was killed during clashes between its forces and Palestinian fighters on Wednesday. The latest casualty brings the Israeli military death toll to at least 116 since the ground invasion of Gaza began. The statement said another Israeli soldier was seriously injured in the incident and has been taken to hospital.