According to the Hamas-controlled health ministry, more than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military offensive over a month ago.

Israel declared war on Hamas after the Islamist militant group carried out a horrific attack on Israel on October 7, murdering 1,400 people and capturing another 240. In retaliation, Israel launched an air and military invasion of Gaza, threatening to destroy the militant group.

PHOTO | COURTESY bombardment aftermath

According to Ministry spokeswoman Ashraf Al Qudra, Israeli strikes killed 10,022 Palestinians in the enclave, including 4,104 children, 2,641 women, and 611 old persons. According to these figures, about three-quarters of the dead are from vulnerable populations. The ministry also revealed that 25,408 people were hurt.

According to the media office of central Gaza's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, over a hundred people were killed on Monday alone, following a day of severe Israeli shelling.

PHOTO | COURTESY A man in agony

According to White House National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby, "many, many thousands of innocent people have been killed" in Gaza.

Thousands more Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the last month than in the previous 15 years of conflict with Israel.

The United Nations Human Rights Office stated that last week's attacks on Gaza's largest refugee camp "could amount to war crimes" due to the number of casualties and destruction.

Meanwhile, Hamas leadership has maintained that they will still control the Gaza Strip and will not let Israel put a puppet government in the region.

PHOTO | COURTESY Hamas leader

"To those who think that Hamas will disappear, Hamas will remain entrenched in the conscience of our people, and no force on Earth can annihilate or marginalise it," Osama Hamdan told reporters at a news conference.

"Our people will not allow the United States to impose its plans to create an administration that suits it and that suits the occupation (Israel), and our people will not accept a new Vichy government," he added.