BEIRUT, September 2. /TASS/. As many as 48 people were killed and 70 were injured over the past 24 hours alone as a result of the ongoing fighting, the enclave’s Health Ministry said on its Telegram channel.

According to the agency, the overall number of victims has increased to 40,786 since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalated on October 7, 2023, and 94,224 victims have been taken to regional medical facilities with wounds of varying severity.

Tensions flared up in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking hostages. In response, Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria, as well as a ground operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The fighting continues to this day.