Palestinian death toll in Gaza exceeds 33,000

Children are seen among the rubble after an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza Strip city of Deir el-Balah, on April 2, 2024. (Xinhua)

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced Thursday that the death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks has exceeded 33,000.

The ministry said in a statement that the Israeli army killed 62 Palestinians and wounded 91 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 33,037 and injuries to 75,668 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Minister of Social Development Samah Abu Aoun said the continuous Israeli bombing has resulted in the deaths of more than 14,861 children, and about 17,000 children in Gaza have become orphans.

The minister added that children in Gaza are living in "a tragic reality of deteriorating health and psychological conditions and food insecurity. The number of those who died of famine in northern Gaza has reached at least 30."

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