Gaza death toll from Israeli attacks tops 37,000

At least 274 Palestinians were killed and 698 wounded by Israel’s brutal attack on Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Sunday.

That brings the death toll of Palestinians killed by Israel’s war on Gaza since 7 October to 37,084.

At least 84,494 others have been wounded during that time, the ministry added.

Saturday was Gaza’s deadliest single day since mid-December, it noted.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has called for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to discuss what the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called “a gruesome massacre” by Israel as it rescued four hostages.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Palestinian enclave since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.

Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.