The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 34,844, the Gaza health authorities said in a press statement on Wednesday.
During the past 24 hours, the Israeli army killed 55 Palestinians and wounded 200 others, bringing the total death toll to 34,844 and injuries to 78,404, since the latest round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out last October, it said.
On Wednesday, Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah was hit by heavy Israeli air strikes and shelling, while Palestinian militants said they hit Israeli troops in the eastern part of the city.
The Israeli military stated that it conducted "targeted" raids on the Rafah Crossing on one side of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
The Israeli military has reportedly killed about 30 Palestinian armed personnel and destroyed numerous facilities of Hamas on the day.
According to Palestinian media reports, apart from the eastern region of Rafah, several other areas in the city have also been subjected to intense airstrikes and shelling by the Israeli military.
Over the past two days, over 100 local people have been reportedly killed.
Commander of Hamas' naval unit in Gaza City, Ahmed Ali, was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced in a statement. Hamas has not yet responded to this.
Hamas armed wing Al-Qassam Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, said on Wednesday that they attacked the Israeli army with large-caliber mortars in the eastern area of Rafah and the Necharim Corridor.
Palestinian militants also fired more than 10 rockets to Israel at communities near the Gaza Strip and at Israeli military posts near the Kerem Shalom border crossing, triggering air raid sirens.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbs to 34,844
