CAIRO, December 11. /TASS/. Nearly 20 people were killed over the past 24 hours in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israeli army attacks, the health ministry of the embattled enclave has said.

According to the agency, "over the past 24 hours, 19 Arabs were killed and 69 were wounded in attacks and bombardments by the Israeli occupation forces on various parts of the Strip." The ministry also pointed out that the number of casualties in the enclave has reached 44,805 since the start of the Israeli military operation so far.

A total of 106,257 people were wounded over the same time period.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 250 hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as retaliation for the aggressive actions taken by Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. In response, Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, launching airstrikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria before starting a ground operation in the Palestinian enclave. Hostilities in Gaza continue to this day.