Israel-Hamas war: Gaza death toll rises to 5,791

The death toll in Gaza Tuesday rose to 5,791 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The death toll includes 2,360 children. A total of 16,297 people have also been wounded since the conflict erupted on 7 October.

After Hamas raided southern Israel, killing at least 1400 and abducting over 200, Israel has declared war on the Palestinian terror group.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to reduce Hamas to “rubble.”

However, Israel’s intense aerial raids on Hamas targets in Gaza, which is only 41 km long and 12 km wide — have also taken a severe toll on the civilian Palestinian population. Hamas are embedded into civilians, making it impossible to take out a Hamas target without also hurting the general population.

Gaza, a Palestinian enclave in Israel’s southeast, is bordered by Israel in the north and east, while its coast to the Mediterranean Sea is also blocked by Israel. The only way out of Gaza is the Rafah crossing on the narrow border with Egypt. But Egypt too has, so far, refused to take in the desperate Gaza population.

With AFP inputs