Palestinian death toll in Gaza surpasses 41,000: health authorities

GAZA -- The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 41,020, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Tuesday.

During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 32 people and wounded 100 others, bringing the total death toll to 41,020 and injuries to 94,925 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in early October 2023, it added.

At least 40 Palestinians were killed and more than 60 others wounded in an Israeli airstrike on tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Tuesday.

"Israeli warplanes launched rockets at tents housing displaced Palestinians at the entrance to Mawasi in Khan Younis, causing widespread destruction and resulting in numerous casualties," Palestinian medics told Xinhua.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that the attack targeted senior Hamas leaders operating from a hidden command center in a humanitarian area of Khan Younis.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.