JERUSALEM — The death toll in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has surpassed 65,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry reported that as of Wednesday, the number of fatalities has reached 65,062, with an additional 165,697 individuals injured since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Israeli troops and tanks have intensified their ground offensive in Gaza City, with military operations entering their second day. Israel's military stated that air and artillery strikes have targeted the city over 150 times in recent days, leading to significant destruction. High-rise buildings in densely populated areas, where many Palestinians have sought refuge, have been destroyed. Israel claims these structures were used by Hamas for military purposes.

Recent airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 16 people, including women and children, according to hospital officials. The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated, with experts warning of famine conditions in Gaza City. The Health Ministry has not specified how many of the deceased were civilians or militants, but it has indicated that women and children comprise about half of the casualties.

As the conflict escalates, many Palestinians are fleeing Gaza City. Some are leaving by car, while others are walking. In response to the crisis, Israel has opened a corridor for evacuation south of Gaza City for two days starting Wednesday.

Among the latest casualties were a child and his mother, who died in their apartment in the Shati refugee camp. In another incident, an Israeli strike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed three people, including a pregnant woman. Additionally, a family of three was killed when a strike hit their tent in the Muwasi area near Khan Younis.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that multiple strikes hit the Rantisi Hospital for children in Gaza City on Tuesday night, damaging the facility and forcing many patients to evacuate. Fikr Shalltoot, director of Medical Aid for Palestinians in Gaza, stated, "This attack has once again shattered the illusion that hospitals or any place in Gaza are safe from Israel’s genocide."

The Israeli military has stated it is investigating the strikes but has previously accused Hamas of using civilian areas for military operations. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority reported that Israeli strikes have disrupted internet and telephone services in northern Gaza, isolating many residents.

Before the conflict escalated, approximately 1 million Palestinians were living in the Gaza City region. The Israeli military estimates that around 350,000 people have evacuated the city, while the U.N. reports that over 238,000 have fled northern Gaza in the past month.

A coalition of aid organizations has called on the international community to take stronger action against Israel's offensive. They described the situation in Gaza as an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and stated that the U.N. Commission of Inquiry has concluded it amounts to genocide. Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned Israel's actions, labeling them an extension of a war of genocide against the Palestinian people.

Israeli military officials have indicated that they aim to control all of Gaza, except for a coastal area, by the end of the current operation. They estimate that between 2,000 and 3,000 Hamas militants remain in Gaza City, with the group’s military capabilities significantly diminished.

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of 251 others. Currently, 48 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, with fewer than half thought to be alive.