By Day 338 of Israeli Genocide in Gaza: 40,972 Martyred, 94,761 Injured

The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza since the start of the Israeli war in October has risen to 40,972 and those injured to 94,761, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said on Sunday as the genocide marked its 338th day.

In its daily report, the Ministry mentioned that Israeli occupation forces committed three massacres in Gaza, killing 33 people and wounding 145 others in 24 hours. 

It also noted that many casualties remain trapped under the rubble and on the streets, with ambulances and civil defense teams unable to reach them.

Israeli genocide ongoing 

Our correspondent reported that Israeli artillery targeted al-Sikka Street in the eastern part of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City. In addition, Israeli warplanes launched multiple airstrikes around the Dawla Junction, located south of the neighborhood.

In central Gaza, Israeli aircraft struck the Nuseirat refugee camp, with further artillery shelling reported in the western part of the camp. The bombardment also extended to the eastern area of the Maghazi camp in central Gaza.

The Israeli forces are intensifying their assault on the western and northwestern regions of Rafah city, situated in the southern Gaza Strip.

It is worth noting that the ongoing offensive includes extensive demolition of buildings in these areas.

Residents reported that Israeli forces also demolished several houses approximately 5 kilometers from Jabalia. Medical teams struggled to respond to distress calls from residents trapped in their homes, some of whom were injured.

“The occupation is wiping out al-Zaytoun neighborhood, we are afraid about the people trapped in there,” he said as quoted by Reuters via a chat app, requesting anonymity.

“We hear constant bombing in al-Zaytoun, we know they are blowing up houses there, we don’t sleep because of the sounds of explosions, the roaring of tanks sound close and the drones don’t stop circling,” said a Gaza City resident, living about 1 kilometer away.

‘Israel’ kills the deputy chief of Gaza Civil Emergency Service

An Israeli airstrike on Sunday killed Mohammad Morsi, the deputy director of the Gaza Civil Emergency Service, along with four of his family members, according to health officials in Gaza.

Several Palestinians, including Mohammad Morsi, the deputy director of the Gaza Civil Defense, were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting their home last night in Jabalia refugee camp. pic.twitter.com/6lZGlq1fRv

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) September 8, 2024

 

The killing of Morsi, who was responsible for the northern areas of the Gaza Strip, brings the total number of Civil Emergency Service members killed by Israeli fire since October 7 to 83, as reported by Gaza’s Civil Defense.

Polio vaccination campaign in Gaza continues amid genocide

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip has reported progress in its polio vaccination campaign, with 69% of children aged from birth to 10 years receiving the first dose of the vaccine. This comes seven days into the campaign’s launch, which is currently focusing on the Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates, as well as adjacent areas.

By Saturday evening, 441,647 children had been vaccinated, with a nearly even split between genders: 49% female and 51% male.

They face considerable risks due to the continuous hostilities in the region, which complicate their ability to commute between vaccination centers.

The campaign is now moving forward in the Gaza and North Gaza governorates. Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing Israeli genocide, health teams from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, UNRWA, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF are persevering with their efforts.