RAMALLAH, Palestine: In the aftermath of Israeli aggression in Gaza and the West Bank, the death toll has soared to 17,674, with over 49,300 individuals wounded, Palestine News Agency (WAFA) reported.
According to the Ministry of Health's latest update, 17,400 casualties were reported in the Gaza Strip and 274 deaths in the West Bank, with 46,000 Palestinians injured in Gaza and nearly 3,300 in the West Bank.
Friday alone witnessed a devastating toll of at least 300 civilian deaths amid relentless Israeli bombardment in Gaza.
The health sector in Gaza is in crisis, with 55 ambulances out of service, and healthcare centres closing due to continuous bombardment and fuel shortages, the ministry said in a statement.
Infectious diseases are on the rise in the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) shelters, including diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and Hepatitis A, impacting vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, the injured, and pregnant women.
Over 60 per cent of homes in Gaza are destroyed, with the final count unavailable due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes.
Israeli forces are increasingly targeting hospitals, health centres, ambulances, and medical teams in the West Bank, escalating attacks on healthcare facilities.
Settler attacks persist with 308 incidents recorded since the aggression began on Oct 7, resulting in injuries, property damage, and the displacement of 143 Palestinian families, including 1,014 individuals, including 388 children, the ministry added in the statement. --BERNAMA-WAFA