31,045 Palestinians killed in Israeli military offensive, health ministry says

At least 31,045 Palestinians have been killed and 72,654 have been wounded since Oct. 7 in Israel’s military offensive on the Gaza Strip, the enclave’s health ministry said on Sunday.

Gaza has faced relentless bombardment by Israel since Hamas launched a shocking cross-border attack on October 7 that resulted in about 1,160 deaths, most of them civilians, according to official figures.

Hamas also seized about 250 hostages, 99 of whom are believed by Israel to remain alive in Gaza.

Israel’s retaliatory operations in Hamas-controlled Gaza have killed more than 31,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.