Palestinian death toll in Gaza hits 20,000: Hamas media office

People conduct rescue work after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Dec. 20, 2023. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

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

The statement said 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.

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

People conduct rescue work after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Dec. 19, 2023. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

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 Oct. 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 Oct. 7 when about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage, according to the Israeli tallies.