Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 29,878: ministry

The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,878 since Oct 7, 2023, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said in a press statement on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

 

The Israeli army killed 96 Palestinians and wounded 172 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 29,878 and injuries to 70,215, according to the statement.

 

The statement said that some victims remain trapped under debris and on roads, with Israeli forces hindering access for ambulances and civil defense teams.

 

Meanwhile, the Israeli army launched air and ground attacks on various areas of the Gaza Strip, resulting in deaths and injuries, according to local sources and eyewitnesses.

 

Jordan on Tuesday airdropped another batch of humanitarian aid to Gaza for a second day as part of a concerted multinational humanitarian effort to alleviate the crisis in Gaza.

 

Six C130 aircraft, including three from the Royal Jordanian Air Force and three from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and France, respectively, dropped tonnes of food parcels along the Gaza coast.

 

King Abdullah II of Jordan also participated in the airdrop operations, according to the state-run Petra news agency.

 

It said the king directly monitored the preparation and loading process before the plane departed from King Abdullah II Air Base.

 

In Monday's airdrop, the parcels were parachuted over several locations along the coast where hundreds of desperate people rushed to collect them.

 

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct 7, 2023, during which about 1,400 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage.