Gaza death toll nears 37,400 as Israel continues onslaught

Gaza's death toll from Israel's ongoing offensive has surged to 37,396, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said on Wednesday.

At least 85,523 people have also been injured in the onslaught, the ministry added in a statement.

"Israeli forces killed 24 people and injured 71 others in five 'massacres' against families in the last 24 hours," the ministry said.

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

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.

Over eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts 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, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.