Day 221: 35,173 Martyred, 79,061 Injured in Gaza

Israeli occupation forces committed eight massacres against families in Gaza over the past 24 hours, killing 82 Palestinians and injuring 234 others, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported. 

Many victims remain under the rubble and on the streets as the IOF prevent ambulances and civil defense crews from reaching them. 

The ministry said that since October 7, the number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli war against Gaza has reached 35,173 Palestinians, with 79,061 injured. 

Oxfam warns of severe risk of epidemic outbreak in Gaza

The Israeli ground invasion in Rafah has further worsened the humanitarian situation in the besieged Gaza Strip, pushing it to the verge of a “deadly epidemic outbreak,” according to Oxfam, a United Kingdom-based charity organization.

As mentioned by the organization, when added to overcrowding, malnutrition, and heat, “Israel’s” destruction of critical water and sanitation infrastructure has brought a severe risk of epidemic outbreak in the Gaza Strip. 

“The situation is further compounded by the Israeli invasion of Rafah which has forced over 350,000 people to flee to already overcrowded shelters and camps, and food and fuel are running out with the closure of border crossings,” the organization explained. 

Oxfam’s staff reported “people having to drink dirty water and children being bitten by insects swarming around the sewage.”

Moreover, Oxfam said that “Israel” has either severely damaged or destroyed five of its life-saving water and sanitation projects in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. The Israeli occupation caused at least $210 million of damage to the Gaza Strip’s water and sanitation infrastructure, which has resulted in piles of human waste and rivers of sewage in the streets. 

These conditions have made it ripe for the outbreak of epidemics, including Hepatitis A and cholera.