The Gaza health ministry has said 2,985 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the onslaught’s overall toll to 53,119, according to AFP.

Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a two-month truce in its operation against Hamas, which was triggered by an attack by the Palestinian group in October 2023.

That assault resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 57 remain in Gaza, including 34 that the military says are dead.

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