Palestinian death toll in Gaza hits 20,000

Gaza, Dec 21 (IANS) The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since October 7 has reached 20,000, according to a statement issued by the Hamas-run government media office.

The statement said on Wednesday that the victims included more than 8,000 children and 6,200 women, while more than 52,000 people were injured and 6,700 others were missing, Xinhua news agency reported.

A total of 310 medical personnel, 35 civil defence personnel and 97 journalists were killed in the Israeli attacks, it added.

Meanwhile, two Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank cities of Hebron and Bethlehem, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

It raised the death toll of Palestinians from Israeli gunfire in the occupied territory to 303 since this new round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out on October 7, according to WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency.

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive in Gaza to retaliate against a surprise Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7 when about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage, according to the Israeli tallies.