At least 7,703 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza

The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said Saturday that at least 7,703 people have been killed in the war with Israel that erupted on October 7.

More than 3,500 children were among the dead, the ministry added.

The ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel has caused the highest number of fatalities in Gaza since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the territory in 2005.

On Friday evening Israel intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, the army said, striking dozens of Hamas targets, especially underground tunnels.

The blistering air and artillery assault destroyed hundreds of buildings and thousands of houses across the strip, the civil defense service in the Palestinian territory said.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is reaching “unprecedented levels” with its already extremely fragile infrastructure “on the brink of total collapse.

Hospitals, the lifeline for countless injured, are alarmingly close to shutting down due to shortages, forcing medical professionals to work in unimaginable conditions, unsure if their own families have survived

Essential utilities like electricity and water are scarce, putting the most vulnerable at even higher risk, from newborns in incubators to the elderly relying on life-sustaining machines.