Over 9,000 killed in Gaza since beginning of Israel-Hamas conflict: ministry

GAZA, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The death toll among Palestinians killed by the Israeli attacks on Gaza has now exceeded 9,000 since the beginning of the current Israel-Hamas conflict, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said on Thursday.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra said at a press conference that the death toll rose to 9,061, including 3,760 children and 2,326 women, while the number of injured surpassed 32,000.

He said Israeli forces carried out 15 attacks in the past 24 hours, killing 256 people and wounding hundreds.

The government media office in Gaza said Israel has dropped more than 10,000 bombs on the Gaza Strip since the beginning of its offensive, and estimated that the amount of explosives used by Israel has exceeded 25,000 tons, or reached nearly 70 tons per square kilometer.

On Oct. 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, firing thousands of rockets and infiltrating Israeli territory, killing at least 1,400 in Israel. In response, the Israeli army launched airstrikes and ground operations against the Gaza Strip and imposed a blockade on the Palestinian enclave.