A spokesman for Gaza's health ministry said on Sunday that 166 Palestinians had been killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 20,424. Tens of thousands were injured, with many bodies believed to be trapped under the rubble. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced.
Israeli soldiers and tanks near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Sunday amid ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas. Photo: AFP
An Israeli military spokesman said on Sunday that its forces had killed about 8,000 Palestinian militants in the Gaza war, adding that the figure was drawn from reports of targeted attacks and battlefield statistics as well as interrogations of detainees.
The Israeli military said eight soldiers were killed, bringing the total number of casualties reported since it began a ground offensive in response to a fierce Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
The White House said US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Israel's operation.
In a statement, the White House said Mr Biden “emphasized the need to protect civilians, including those supporting humanitarian aid operations, and the importance of allowing civilians to safely move out of areas of ongoing fighting”.
“The leaders discussed the importance of securing the release of all remaining hostages,” the White House said.
Israel’s main ally has maintained its support while expressing concern about the casualties and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. US officials said they expected Israel to move to a lower-intensity phase soon.
Mai Anh (according to SCMP)
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