Gaza death toll nears 51,100 as Israeli army kills 40 more Palestinians

Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip killed at least 40 more Palestinians in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll from Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023 to 51,065, the Health Ministry said on Thursday. A ministry statement said that 73 more injured people were also transferred to hospitals, taking the number of injuries to 116,505 in the Israeli onslaught. “Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added. The Israeli army resumed its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip on March 18 and has since killed 1,691 people and injured 4,464 others despite a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.