Gaza death toll surpasses 53,000 as Israeli strikes kill 143 in 24 hrs

Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 143 Palestinians within 24 hours, pushing the total death toll in the besieged enclave to over 53,000 since the start of the conflict, according to reports from Al Jazeera and Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.

The latest wave of attacks began early Thursday and included a deadly strike on the Al-Tawbah Medical Clinic located in the Jabalia refugee camp. Medical sources confirmed that 13 people, including women and children, were killed in the clinic strike alone, according to a Al Jazeera report.

Eyewitnesses said the upper floor of the facility was directly hit, causing chaos among patients and medical staff. The attack left bodies and debris scattered throughout the facility.

The relentless bombardment has worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where medical infrastructure is on the brink of collapse and civilian casualties continue to mount daily.

Meanwhile, citing a statement from Palestine’s Health Ministry, Qatar-based media outlet Anadolu Ajansi reported that 82 people were killed in Israeli attacks in the enclave in the last 24 hours, while 152 others were injured, taking the number of injuries to 119,998 in the Israeli onslaught.

“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

The Israeli army resumed its assaults on the Gaza Strip on March 18 and has since killed 2,876 people and injured nearly 8,000 others, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

International agencies and rights groups have repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire, but the violence shows no sign of abating.