CAIRO, October 9. /TASS/. The death toll from the latest Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip and clashes on the West Bank of the Jordan River has risen to 450, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported.

"As many as 450 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank," the ministry wrote on its Telegram channel. According to the communication, Israeli air strikes left 436 Palestinians dead in Gaza alone, including 91 children and 61 women, with some 2,300 people being injured. Meanwhile, another 14 Palestinians were killed and more than 80 others were injured in Israeli attacks on the West Bank.

On Sunday, 424 Palestinian were reported killed since the onset of the latest escalation on October 7.

According to Palestine’s WAFA news agency, since Saturday, 13 high-rise residential buildings were completely destroyed in the Gaza Strip, with 159 private homes being demolished and more than 1,000 partially destroyed. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said more than 70,000 Palestinians had been forced to flee their homes.

On Saturday morning, Palestine launched rocket strikes at Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, as groups of militants infiltrated Israel and engaged Israeli forces. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared a "state of readiness for war" and announced the beginning of Operation Swords of Iron.

HAMAS Politburo Head Ismail Haniyeh said the Palestinian operation near Gaza was in response to aggressive actions by the Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signed off on mobilizing IDF reservists and expanded the "special security situation" nationwide.