Gaza death toll surpasses that of Cast Lead as count hits 1,437

Source: http://www.maannews.net/

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Palestinian death toll in the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza surpassed that of Operation Cast Lead on Thursday as the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks hit 1,437.

In the most recent lethal Israeli attack, an airstrike hit the al-Bayoumi family home in al-Nusairat refugee camp, killing at least 11 Palestinians and injuring at least 45.

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, 1,417 Palestinians were killed during Israel’s infamous three-week offensive on Gaza in 2008-2009.

Some 5,303 people were injured during Cast Lead, while at least 8,265 have been injured throughout Operation Protective Edge, Israel’s name for its current offensive.

At the end of the 2009 war, ten Israeli soldiers had been killed. Militants in Gaza have done more damage this time, with 56 soldiers killed so far.

The current offensive is still ongoing on its 24th day, while Cast Lead ended after 22 days.

Gaza militants and Israel also fought a war in late 2012, which lasted a week and left 174 Palestinians dead.

The current offensive showed no signs of stopping on Thursday, as the US restocked Israel’s ammunition and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would accept no ceasefire that did not allow Israeli troops to remain in Gaza and destroy tunnels.

Militants in Gaza, meanwhile, say they will not stop fighting until the eight-year Israeli-imposed economic blockade on the Strip comes to an end.

Latest Ministry of Health statistics

According to the Ministry of Health, 23 percent of those killed throughout the current offensive have been children.

Some 12 percent have been women, the ministry says.

Sixty of the dead have been elderly.

Meanwhile, of the 8,265 people injured in the offensive, 30 percent have been children, 20 percent have been women, and 4 percent elderly.

Twenty-nine medical facilities including thirteen hospitals have been damaged by Israeli attacks, the ministry said. Operations were ongoing in 26 out of the 29 medical facilities when they were hit.

A Palestinian man taking shelter at a UN school carries his wounded
child to the Kamal Edwan hospital in Beit Lahia, the northern Gaza Strip,
early on July 31, 2014 (AFP Mohammed Abed)

Latest attacks

So far on Thursday, 79 Palestinians have been killed and 350 have been injured, health ministry spokesman al-Qidra said in a statement.

A Palestinian teenager was killed and five were injured in an Israeli airstrike on Khan Younis late Thursday.

The teen was identified as Othman Fawzi Abdeen, 17.

Another Israeli airstrike hit Khan Younis, killing 21-year-old Mohammad Yusef Abadla.

An earlier strike hit Deir al-Balah, killing six Palestinians, al-Qidra said.

Two Palestinians were also killed and 20 were injured injured in an Israeli airstrike on a car in central Gaza City on Thursday.

Additionally, four Palestinians were killed on Thursday in an airstrike targeting a car in Deir al-Balah.

The four were identified as Ibrahim Abd al-Karim al-Luh, 29, Khalid Nasser al-Luh, 46, Abdulkarim al-Masri, 48, and Yahiya al-Luh, 27,

Muhammad Ammar Sharaf was also killed in an airstrike targeting a group of people in al-Nuseirat.

Sixty-eight-year-old Atiyeh Salama al-Hashash was also killed in an Israeli attack on Rafah.

Palestinian firefighters try to extinguish the flames in a van that
was reportedly targeted by an Israeli military strike, in Gaza City on
July 31, 2014 (AFP Mohammed Abed)