Death toll in Gaza from ongoing Israeli war surges to 21,978

The deaths of Palestinians from the nearly three-month devastating Israeli onslaught on Gaza has reached 21,978, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said Monday.

Ashraf al-Qudra, spokesman for the ministry, made the statement as Israel's deadly onslaught on Gaza enters its 87th day.

He noted that the number of injured in Gaza has also risen to 57,697, nearly 70% of them women and children.

Al-Qudra also said that 326 medical staff were killed by the Israeli army in addition to destroying 104 ambulances and damaging 150 health centers across the Gaza Strip.

He urged the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit the 99 medical staff arrested by the Israeli army in Gaza and to press for their release.

Al-Qudra also called on international aid groups to send medical teams and medical supplies to Gaza, as well as field hospitals to Gaza to help treat the wounded.

He added that out of the huge number of injured people, only 645 of them have left Gaza to continue their medical treatment outside, with medical supplies in Gaza severely depleted due to Israel's ongoing blockade.

Israel launched a campaign of relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

Israel says the Hamas attacks have killed around 1,200 Israelis.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave's infrastructure damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicines.