Oct. 24 (UPI) — Palestinian officials on Tuesday said they had recorded the largest number of deaths in a single day since the war between Israel and Hamas as Israeli forces struck hundreds of targets in Gaza.
Palestinian Ministry of Health spokesman Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra said 704 people, including 305 children were killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll since the start of fighting on Oct. 7 at 5,791.
The ministry added that a total of 65 medical staffers had been killed throughout the conflict while hospitals remained out of service.
“The Ministry of Health announces the complete collapse of hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Hospital doors remaining open does not mean that they are providing service to the flood of wounded people flowing into them,” Al-Qudra said.
The Israel Defense Forces said it struck more than 400 positions in Gaza overnight, saying the positions were used by Hamas militants and hit by artillery, tanks and helicopters.
Military officials said they struck anti-tank missile launchers and observation posts. The Israels said it killed “several” Hamas commanders and operatives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told soldiers that the strikes over the past 24 hours were “the hardest blow” suffered in Gaza in a single day.
“We have killed many dozens of terrorists, possibly many more than that, and this very moment we are finding out the exact extent of the damage,” he said in a statement through his office.
Netanyahu added that the operation was set to enter its “next phase.”
IDF said it also struck infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon including a military compound, military post and observation post.
Israel said that alarms sounded in the northern communities of Elkosh and Netua. after receiving incoming rocket and missile attacks.
